Elemental Attraction
by Saori Aki Orimi
Summary: The Rekai Tentai have a new job: the mysterious kitsune who seems to have avoided all other attempts at capture, and who shares a name with the obviously human new student at their school. KuramaOC pair. Discontinued.
1. First Day

First Day

(REWRITTEN)

Sao: Nope. Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, and therefore do not own Kurama (sighs)

Karuri: I bet you just wish you did though.

Sao: How did you guess?

Kurama: sighs

Sao: KURAMA! (glomps) you came!

Kurama: ack...

Karuri: Why did you answer her invitation if you knew she'd be like this?

Kurama: Well for starters I didn't know she'd be like this...

* * *

First day in a new school. A little unnerving by anybody's standards, but when you've just escaped being caught by the underworld and being stuffed in Makai and had to come to a whole other COUNTRY and enroll in another school just to stay away from them, well, hey! Not to mention when you just managed to get into the country most notorious for having other demons, and therefore lots of underworld-lings.

Specifically, Karuri had come from America. She was an elemental kitsune, one of, no, scratch that, the _last_ of her kind existing. They weren't hunted out of existence or anything. It's just that, often enough, they died while learning to control their powers. Generally it was their own that killed them. It was too much power for any body. Look at her, she already had reached seven tails, and she wasn't even two hundred. It wasn't uncommon, in the past when there had been more of them, for children to be born already with two, or even three tails.

And now she was in Japan, after having made it through the barrier between worlds somewhere in Russia near the European border. That had been three years ago. Even in that short time, the underworld-lings had chased her across five countries. Five! I mean, she had expected to be chased, but five different countries in three years? It was a good thing kitsunes enjoyed a challenge.

The last country had been America, and that time they had nearly caught her, causing her to just grab whatever flight was available, damn it, and get her out of there as soon as possible! After all that jaunting, she spoke at least six languages. Four for the different countries she had been in, the youkai language, and, of course, Japanese. She had to admit that her favorites were her native youkai tongue, Japanese and English. She had acquired quite a hoard of stuff in America, all of which she had managed to get on the plane with her, and miraculously none of it had gotten lost. Ningens and air travel and getting luggage to the right place did not mix.

"Karuri-san?" the voice of the principal of the new school cut into her musings.

"Hai?" she responded immediately.

"Here is your schedule. Would you like someone to show you around the school?"

"Ano... sure." she said, shrugging and brushing some of her long, dusky, nearly black hair out of her face.

Never mind that she had it up in a clip. It didn't all fit, leaving the front to grace her face, bringing out her fair skin and bright blue-green eyes, with the yellow starburst ring around the pupils.

The elegant blue-rimmed glasses she wore made her look older than she really was, but she rather liked that. Not to mention they matched her new uniform.

The skirt was extremely short, a fact that, as a kitsune, she wasn't too worried about, and the neckline was wide and low, showing off the tiniest bit of cleavage on all the girls. It had a dusky lavender double stripe following the v-neck and around the sleeves. The skirt was a blue almost the same shade as her glasses.

She had noticed the principal and several other male members of the staff staring at the girls when they thought they wouldn't be noticed. However, under her human illusion she wasn't likely to be molested. It wasn't that she was ugly, quite the opposite. Her figure was merely modeled on a slim, childish scale, not looking as mature as some of the others did, or for that matter, as she herself did in her real form.

"Well, you're in luck, we have just the person here, he even has all of your classes." the principal told her. "I'll just go get someone to get him."

"D'accord." she said nonchalantly. ((French, hehe. Guess where she spent half her sophomore year? Cyber brownies if you do! Shouldn't be too hard tho ))

He sent her a sideways glance, not sure what she was saying ((A/N if it isn't mentioned otherwise, they're speaking japanese, ok?))

"Ah, here he is." he said, distracting himself from the strange girl in front of him. A young man in a dusky blue uniform a slightly lighter shade than her skirt came into the office. He had long, bright red hair that she could almost swear had to have been dyed, and stunning emerald green eyes. ((WHO CARES WHAT SCHOOL HE WAS IN BEFORE I'M CHANGING IT! grr I like my uniform!))

"Konnichiwa." the young man said. "Did you need me for something, Numeka-san?"

"Yes, Minamino-san, I would appreciate it if you would show this girl around the school. She has all of your classes so it shouldn't be too much trouble. Arigato." the principal said and turned back to his desk, indicating that indeed it wasn't an optional activity to show Karuri around. She rolled her eyes at his audacity and received an amused smile from the redhead.

"Ano... konnichiwa?" she offered, smiling hesitantly at him from under the curtain of her long bangs.

"Shall we get to class?" he asked politely.

"Sure." Karuri shrugged. "Where are we going again?"

"That would be Calculus."

"Blah..." she muttered, and received another amused glance.

He led her down a crowded hall, around a corner, up a staircase and through another hall. She noticed a lot of glares directed at her from the female population in general. As they finally made it into a classroom, which was mostly empty except for one or two guys and the teacher, and sat down in desks next to the window, she sent him a sidelong glance and asked,

"What was with all the freaky vindictive people in the hallway?"

"Oh... you noticed that? I believe they are members of the "Minamino Official Fan Club," or something ridiculous like that."

She burst out laughing at that, and the slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Official?"

"Hai, apparently so."

Just then a group of aforementioned fan club members entered the classroom, sending poisoned glares at Karuri for being in the desk next to the redhead. Ningens were so amusing like that. It wasn't like they were courting him or anything.

But then, ningens didn't do things that way exactly... she couldn't help but wonder if one of them was actually his girlfriend. Even after three years in Ningenkai the things still seemed strange. This one was no exception, but, hey.

"All right, class. Today we will be starting on page 105 of your textbooks, from where we left off yesterday. You should all have the homework done, yes?"

There was a general murmur of assent from the class.

"Ah, we have a new student today. Karuri-san, stand up, douzo."

Karuri stood a little bashfully. Why did teachers always insist on drawing attention to the new student? Maybe it had something to do with them being ningen. The small ningen needed their attention focused for them.

"Class, this is Ayashika Karuri. She transferred in from America."

"Douzo yoroshiku." she said hesitantly, bowing to the class. They all did likewise, though she noticed some more glaring from the girls. Ningen. So amusing.

* * *

Kurama couldn't get over the way she seemed so uncaring about the fan club. Most people were rather unnerved by the viciousness of the girls. But she seemed hardly fazed.

She was just a slip of a thing, her long dark hair framing her face, with the glasses that made her look so much older than her body suggested. Sitting in the desk with her face resting on one hand and chewing on one finger, she seemed ultimately frail and defenseless.

/What are you looking at her for? There are many more attractive around. And there are those who don't break when you touch them./ Youko's voice sounded in his head.

/I am not looking at her like that/ Kurama protested.

/Yes you are. Anyway, she's ningen. There's no partner material there./

/That's typical. Did it ever occur to you that a girl could be a friend/

/Friendship leads to much better ends./

/I can't even talk to you anymore, can I/

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sao: yeah, short chappie there I know... eheh, sorry... but, hey...

Karuri: she's just stalling and wants to switch scenes because she can't write this bit right now...

Kurama: And because she's extremely distracted due to the fact that she's watching Inuyasha.

Sao: Hey, I love ze ears! And all the pretty tails!

Karuri: Well, he has tails... sometimes points to Kurama

Sao: Yeah, SOMEtimes. Anyhows, pleez review!

Karuri: Yeah, or else she'll go really psycho.

Sao: HEY!

EDIT: For anyone who doesn't know or isn't familiar with the small amount of Japanese being used, Douzo yoroshiku is basically, "pleased to meet you," literally more like "please look after me."  
Douzo is please,  
Ningen is human,  
Ningenkai is the human world,  
Reikai is the spirit world (If you're reading this story, you better have known at least that one...)


	2. A New Mission

A New Mission

Sao: Hi again and welcome to Chapter Two!

Karuri: Sigh she just came from this crazy festival called "Chocolate Fest." Guess what she had there?

Kurama: Two tons of chocolate?

Karuri: That and some new invention called drinkable chocolate, which is really chocolate espresso/vodka. And several packages of kettle corn, and many cans of vanilla coke, and I don't even want to know what else.

Sao: Lalalalalalala... (turns up music until house shakes)

* * *

Once again the dreaded interrogation session and new-mission receiving at Koenma's office. Yusuke sighed, wondering, 'Why me?' Because of course, in true Koenma style, the communicator had rung right as he was getting ready to finally have that uninterrupted date with Keiko. Apparently, this was not on Koenma's schedule.

"Where's Kurama?" Koenma whined.

The aforementioned person chose this moment to enter.

"Ah, there you are. Now, the briefing can start."

"Yeah and it better be good, toddler, or else you're going to answer to me instead of the other way 'round." Yusuke threatened.

"DON'T CALL ME TODDLER! And it is good! There is an elemental kitsune that we have been trying to catch for three years running loose in Tokyo."

"Three years? And you still haven't caught him?"

"She! She's the last of the elemental kitsunes, and we have been trying to catch her ever since she made it through the barrier somewhere in Russia."

"Whoa, Russia?"

"Yes, Russia! Did I stutter?"

"Uh, no." Kuwabara said stupidly. (A/N my comp. wanted to change Kuwabara to 'cowberry' umm, wow.)

"Well, anyhow, she just came from America, and we nearly caught her... but she got on the plane before we could and now she's your responsibility!"

"So, do we get a description? How are we going to find her?" Yusuke probed. Koenma reddened slightly.

"All I have is a name: Karuri."

* * *

It had been several school days since the principal had asked- no, ordered him to show Karuri around the school, and she hadn't really ceased to fascinate him. She wasn't like the rest of the female population of the school- thank Kami for that- and she seemed to have a grace that surpassed human limits. Despite her obvious humanity. Youko had taken to teasing him about crushing.

Then there had been the strange paper the other day. She had walked off and left it on her desk after foreign language (English) class the other day, and, intrigued, he had picked it up. The first part was most definitely in English, though for some reason it seemed to be far above the level they were learning it at in class. But then it switched into... something else. He could still perceive a couple words written in English, but the rest was some sort of gobbledegook.

Then, seemingly to make matters simpler, she had stopped with the Latin lettering to regular Japanese. Unfortunately, this soon became hopelessly intertwined with none other than the demon script of Makai. Puzzling much? Of course, then there was the end. The end was the one and only ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Which neither he nor Youko could read, so they were stumped.

How could she know so many languages? She mentioned having had a rather spread out education, and having come from America lately, but... this? So he had taken the paper and planned on asking Koenma to translate it, though Youko's thoughts were more along the lines of 'he will translate this baka piece of paper or ELSE!'

Of course, then Koenma had called them all together, saying that he had yet another mission for them. He had said nothing up to this point, but at the name, he just had to speak up.

"Karuri?"

"Yes, Karuri. She's probably hiding out somewhere, hoping to get us off her tail... all the teams before might have failed, but I expect better from all of you!" the child ruler screeched at them.

"How did they fail?" Yusuke asked.

"Never mind that, all you need to know is that they are no longer being employed by Reikai. And I would keep that in mind if I were you!"

"Hn. Why is it so important for this kitsune to be captured?" Hiei spoke up from his shadowy corner, where he had went mostly unnoticed by all until now.

"Because without her Makai is a mess! She's supposed to be inheriting a throne right about now, since her father, the last elemental kitsune aside from her, recently was assassinated. And if she's not there to receive the throne, there will be a tournament held to name the ruler."

"So?" Yusuke asked, clearly still in a foul mood.

"SO? You should know what these demon tournaments are like! And ones for a royal position are even WORSE! NOW GO!" Koenma yelled, opening the portal beneath them.

"Screw that." Yusuke muttered as the appeared on a curb. "As if I'm going to go chasing after something like that immediately. You go get the thing, Kurama, you know where a kitsune would be." Without waiting for an answer he stormed off.

"Uhh... Where are we, anyway?" Kuwabara asked.

"Try reading the street signs, ningen. If you are even capable of so small a task as that."

"Of course I'm capable, shrimp!"

Kurama tuned them out.

It couldn't possibly be the same person. Sure there were a few matchups in the story, as well as the shared name, but there were facts a and b. A) she didn't have the aura of a youkai of any type, or the scent, and B) she just didn't act like a kitsune.

–:Nor does she look like one, unless she's very young.-

-Youko...- he warned. He didn't want the thief flashing the provocative pictures of all the kitsune women he had ever known in his head.

* * *

The next day dawned bright and early. And with nothing to do, since it was after all Saturday, and the weekend. Maybe he should just wander around the city, and perhaps pick up hints of where this mysterious kitsune might be.

–:And your friend Karuri should be off work today... you do remember that, don't you- Youko reminded him. Indeed, Karuri had said she wouldn't have work today. Apparently she worked at a local diner as a dishwasher after school almost every day and Sunday. She had even given him her address, but as a friendly gesture rather than the flirtatious way innumerable others at the school had. Thus, he had actually kept the scrap of paper around.

-Why Youko. I would never have suspected you to actually remember that.- he teased.

–:Hmph-

Still, it was a good enough idea. He had nothing to do, she should be there... He could convince himself that she was definitely not the kitsune they were supposed to be catching. Of course, he couldn't go this early. Or maybe not early... he checked his clock and found it reading nearly 10:45.

Half an hour later found him at the same corner Koenma had dropped them off at from his office. From the name of the apartments, he hadn't expected them to be in such an... unsavoury corner of the city. After all, 'Sunshine Waters' didn't exactly scream filth. It screamed randomness, a bit, but not filth.

Shrugging this off, he glanced at the apartment number and headed down the street. An attractive fronting and a sign reading "Sunshine Water's Apartments" greeted him before long, and with the slightest thrill of apprehension he opened the door and looked around.

A hall and stairway greeted him, and besides the slight odor of dust and mold, and a cobweb or two in the corners of the ceiling, it wasn't nearly so bad. The first level was decorated in light blue, the next, from what he could see, in yellow. Guessing by the apartment number (432) she would be on the fourth floor.

The stairs creaked slightly as he made his way up them. He didn't really know why he was here. What was his excuse again? Oh yeah, I'm here to make sure you aren't the runaway elemental kitsune my otherworldly boss has sent me to bag for him. That was real smooth.

As if in a dream, he found himself in front of the door marked 432, ringing the cheap plastic doorbell. The carpeting was cheap too, as were most of the materials used in the construction of the building.

The next sight startled him out of his dreams. It was Karuri standing in the doorway looking up at him, wearing light blue fleece pajama pants with yellow stars and moons, white clouds, and a turned over waistband revealing the word 'cute' all the way around, in English, and an thin black sports bra, which left little to the imagination. Her hair was up in a black clip, but more haphazardly than it had been at school, so that the strands falling out were more numerous. The glasses were gone, leaving her long black lashes in sharper focus, and a black braided choker necklace with centimeter-long silver spikes was around her neck, as well as another, a copper-colored oval nearly three times as long as it was wide and with an intricate wire pattern inside, hanging from a tiny copper chain. A dark grey armband with a white star went around her right bicep.

–:Oh, does she know how to work the casual style.- Youko gloated in his head.

-I thought you were saying how there were better in the world the other day-

–:That was when she was in that old uniform-

"Gomen. Is this a bad time?" he asked. Some sort of music was blasting from another room, sounding like another language, but it was hard to be sure.

"Not at all, providing you don't mind a bit of a mess and me currently cleaning the bathroom." she said without sarcasm. "Come on in."

A bit of a mess was a bit of an understatement. The counter was clean, but cluttered with dishes. A teapot stood on one corner, looking like it was about to fall off. She shoved it away from the edge as she passed. He couldn't tear his eyes from the curve of her back in front of him. And Youko was replaying the image of her torso from the front in the bra, including the flat, muscled stomach and what the bra showed off. Damn him and his all too perfect memory.

She led him through the boxes lining the walls to the purple-painted bathroom, where the radio playing the extremely loud music was located. He caught enough of the words to realize the song was in English, but whatever it was saying seemed like gibberish. Randomness.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout this, but the place is kinda a dump and I only moved in last Tuesday. There's tea in that pot and a mug in one of the cupboards, but I'm pretty sure it's cold by now." She took a sponge and cleaning substance, and put them on the edge of the tub, then stepping in and turning on the water, proceeding to wet down the walls of the tub and seeming to forget he was there, though he knew she hadn't.

–:She's very modest... Not.- Youko commented gleefully. He was definitely storing the images of her with the sponge and water-spattered pants to torture his host with later. –:You know, now she's _definitely_ acting like a kitsune.-

-Oh thanks very much.- Kurama said. It was hard to remain coherent with Youko in his head and the speakers of the radio blasting gibberish into his ears. -You're very helpful-

–:I try.-

* * *

Sao: O.o I think Kurama liiiiiikes someone.

Kurama: Well she's being very provocative there.

Karuri: I try. Don't you just love R.E.M?

Kurama: Do you have to play it so _loud_?

Karuri: Of course.

Sao: I LOVE R.E.M! DoN't diss the R.E.M-ness!

Karuri: that's it, no more Chocolate Fests for her.

Kurama: Definitely not.

Karuri: Oh, and manymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymany manymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymanymany thanks to Angel Sari Neko Jeminie Indigo, and cyber two tons of cupcakes for you! Sao ate all the chocolate...

Sao: HEY! REVIEW! PRETTY BUTTON!


	3. An Extended Visit

An Extended Visit

Sao: (sleeping)

Karuri: Well, at least she's off the sugar rush...

Kurama: Hai, but how is the story being written then?

Karuri: That would be due to her loving muse, Neko.

Kurama: Cat? What kind of name is that?

Karuri: (points to a small cat with a huge fluffy tail as big as the rest of the cat. The cat is mostly white with a black patch on chest, over ears, on all four legs and covering most of the tail) A name for that.

Neko: 'Elloes! I will be writing this story for now, although I have to say it is rather hard to type with paws... (transforms into a slim girl about 4' 9" with black hair, pale skin, with a white flowing dress with wide collar off shoulders, black pendant, oh and the tail, only grown with her so it is about half as large as she is.) That's better.

Kurama: (sweatdrops)

* * *

Karuri couldn't say that she hadn't been ever so slightly embarrassed when she opened the door to find Minamino-san there. She wasn't sure she wanted him to see her in this getup. After all, he thought her to be a mostly quiet, shy, slightly odd girl, like most ningens. 

But then she had caught the unobtrusive way he took her in appreciatively, eyes seeming almost to switch from emerald green to gold, then back again. And her kitsune nature had kicked in again. She had switched it off for so long. It had been forever since she had twisted men's hearts. If she hadn't been in illusion, she would have bared a fang in anticipation.

She could feel his eyes trying to keep from wandering over her body as she swayed to the loud American music. R.E.M "Bad Day" was her favorite; she had it on repeat and wondered if he'd notice. She also wondered if he'd notice that most of the things around here were labeled and reading in English. Probably he hadn't yet. But hey.

Finally she rinsed off the bathtub and stepped out, pretending not to notice her splashed fleece pajama pants. It was amazing how once she seemed to be noticing him he managed to ignore the fact that she was unclothed on top.

"Yeah, anyhow whoever had this place last wasn't too good about cleaning, obviously." she commented, grabbing the Windex from the cardboard box she had taken all her cleaning supplies on the plane in. She got to work on the grimy mirror. Being a neat freak was something she did obsessively, and rather well too.

"I can see that..." he said, barely audible even with kitsune hearing over the loud R.E.M. He probably didn't think she had heard. She grinned slightly.

"It's been a bad day, please don't take a picture, it's been a bad day, plee-ee-eease," she began to sing along with the song. After all, showing off was fun, and she _did_ have it memorized.

"Umm... Karuri-san, is there anything I could do to help?"

"Sure, Minamino-san, call me Karuri and cart the boxes with smiley faces and 'fun stuff' written on them into the room with the bed frame." She finished the mirror and began to clean the counter and sinks. Whoever had lived here before her was going to be visited as soon as the human boy left... not that she wasn't enjoying his company.

"Call me Kurama." He offered.

"Kurama? All the girls at school call you Shuichi." she commented, quirking her head at him.

* * *

Damn. Why had he given her that name? 

"It's a nickname, of sorts." he explained smoothly. After, all it was a true answer.

"Oh. Cool." she responded, grinning at him.

"Although, I prefer most of the people at school not to know this." he added.

"Works for me." she said happily, and began to set up the counter. If it hadn't been for Youko's hearing he would have missed the next part, and she probably meant him to. "Although from what I was taught Youko Kurama hated people stealing his name."

He stood in shock for about half a second, before Youko kicked in.

–: Where did she hear about me? Ningens don't know about me:–

Well apparently she does. -

–: But HOW:–

You're the all powerful kitsune thief, you tell me. -

–: There's the obvious. :–

Yes, there was, but he really didn't want to think about that. What would she think of him if he ended up dragging her along to see Koenma after all she had gone through to stay away from the damn toddler?

He was jerked away from his thoughts by the loud ringing of her doorbell. It hadn't sounded so very loud from outside the door. But then, it had to be loud if she was playing that gibberish song all the time. Which, he was starting to suspect was on repeat.

"Oh Kami." she sighed, hoisting the cleaners onto the counter, punching a few buttons on the radio and causing the noise to decrease drastically, and pulling a large maroon sweatshirt over her arms, covering her front but not her back. Kurama put the box down in the other room, which was otherwise occupied by a slightly rusty western-style bed frame and a thin mattress, and followed her curiously into the kitchen/livingroom room.

"Y'ello?" she asked (in English)

"Yeah, ano, konnichiwa, ano, what are we here for again?"

"I dunno, you tell me, Urameshi."

Kurama sweatdropped. Oh dear oh dear.

"Hn. Baka-ne. We are here, because you happen to be extremely out of place. Isn't this place for ningens?"

"Hm, hai, well it's supposed to be, isn't it? However, it seems that the mice and cockroaches have taken it over, so I'm trying to steal it back. Would you like to help?" she asked sweetly.

He caught Hiei's trademark death glare being leveled at the girl, who twirled one of the dark dusky locks of her hair unconcernedly.

"Hey! Kurama, what are you doing here?" Kuwabara's annoying voice rang out. It wasn't often that Kurama was tempted to kill the slightly brain-lacking boy, but right now, it seemed an awfully good idea.

–: Yes, let's see, there's frying, fricasseeing, baking, roasting, cubing, sauteeing, slicing, dicing, oh and let's not forget poison. :–

You forgot stuffing. -

–: Yes I did didn't I. Whoops. :–

"I came over to visit." he responded coolly to Kuwabaka's question. Hiei sent him a look, having caught the conversation between the kitsune and his human host.

"Whoa, you two know each other?" Yusuke asked.

"Well, seeing as we go to the same school..." Karuri supplied. "And so long as you guys know each other, you can help out!"

"Ano..." Yusuke began, before the door was flung wide and he was pulled in by the overly enthusiastic girl, who had to be at least five inches shorter than him. It was almost comical how the tough punk-image Spirit Detective seemed to get jerked around by all the harmless-looking girls. Of course, ever since he had come over here, Karuri had started to seem a lot less harmless. It might have had something to do with the amazing confidence boost and the spike necklace.

Kurama watched with amusement as Yusuke and Kuwabara surveyed the wreckage of a home in front of them. Karuri also smirked at the 'wow' looks on their faces. Hiei had blended into a corner and apparently been forgotten by the girl. Lucky him.

* * *

Karuri wasn't as sure what to do with the three who had now appeared at her door as she had been with Kurama. After all, at least she kind of knew the red head. But hey, they appeared human, which at least was slightly reassuring. She wouldn't really be able to tell until she had a moment to concentrate enough to probe their auras. 

The problem all lay in the damn illusion. Maybe if she weren't so good at it, it wouldn't be so bad. The thing was, while seemingly a human, it decreased her youkai senses like hearing and smell considerably. And if that was bad, the real problem lay in that the finer senses, like tracking auras, and even sensing them, was totally gone until she focused enough to bring out the damn gift. After all, kitsunes were very good at finding things out.

Damn illusion.

But in the meantime, she had put the one called Yusuke to work washing the dishes, and Kuwabara moving the less breakable stuff. The other one, who was the one she actually worried about, had seemed to disappear shortly after making it inside the apartment. Kurama was helping dust, as she did the vacuuming. House slaves seemed like such a nice idea. Soon the place was looking fairly neat and clean, though she would do the dirtier work like washing the baseboards and cupboards later. And it had all gotten into some semblance of order much faster than it ever had on any of her other moves.

"'Kee dokes, I's (( – English)) going to go get dressed now, and then I'll be a good person and take you all out to eat to say thanks, 'kay?" she suggested, not waiting for an answer as she disappeared into the room with all of her stuff in it and shut the door.

Now to do a little probing. Kurama she trusted; she had known him for a few days and nothing about him screamed suspicious as the others seemed to.

Kuwabara she found immediately. He was so open to a reading it was almost funny. Come on. But, there was also a fair amount of power in him, for a human. And the warning edges of a sharp sixth sense, and an uneasiness that told her that even if he didn't consciously know he was being probed, he did understand that something was wrong. He wasn't quite as lacking in the wits department as he looked; there was more of a challenge at breaking into his actual thoughts, and she didn't pursue it.

Yusuke was harder to read. Some of the finer points might have gone unnoticed by anyone else in the face of the fierce fighting aura that seemed such an integral part of him. But there was also immense caring, kindness and loyalty, which partly explained why he had submitted to being dragged into this whole thing, even though he probably believed he could beat her silly if he tried. There was also a lively intelligence at work, even if it didn't lend itself to academics. He was puzzling over something, but there was a resistance that almost felt like a barrier, and she decided not to press it in case he guessed something was up.

So, she roved the house, passing over the gentle, calm aura of Kurama, and finally finding the dark, shadowed aura of the other boy who had come with them. She wasn't really surprised to be able to see that he was a demon before even really probing. However she wasn't quite prepared for him to react so violently to her trying to delve deeper into the mess of his aura. The blast of power took her by surprise, focusing intently on her and almost causing her to lose control of the illusion.

: Onna, you will not try that stunt again or you will find yourself in far worse shape. : A voice growled in her head.

Damn. That had backfired. Now he was probing her instead of the other way around. It wouldn't do for him to know she was the elemental kitsune, even if he was a youkai and therefor not with the underworld-lings. Youkai didn't align themselves with Rekai. It just didn't happen that way. Of course there had been rumors of two youkai with the Rekai Tentai ningens at the last Dark Tournament, but those were only rumors, and anyhow, her family didn't associated themselves with the Dark Tournament.

Quickly she worked at shoving back all the elements within her, mindlessly allowing one to take dominance. Ice presented itself for check in. Ice worked well to block out the sight of the other ones. And it was a hell of a lot safer than dark, which tended to try to take over and swallow everything else. Ice would war with some of the elements, and there would be hell to pay for upsetting the balance she tried to maintain, but it was still better, safer than being found out.

:.:Well in that case why don't you try getting out of MY head and then we're all even now, ne:.: she suggested, carefully blocking him out of her mind. Undoubtedly he'd marked her by now as an Arctic or Blue kitsune.

:Hn. : His presence retreated, maybe he'd found out all he'd needed to find.

"Well that was a painful experience." she muttered, and began digging through her box of clothes to find something decent to wear. "Note to self- do not go probing strange demons past the point where they can sense it unless you know something about them beforehand. It backfires."

Yusuke and Kuwabara were amusing themselves with an automated toy they had found in one of the boxes with a strange face and the English markings "uh-oh" on it while they waited for Karuri. In about five minutes ((yes, that's all that all that probing AND getting dressed took!)) she came out looking a little bit loftier and less fun, somehow, than she had before. She was dressed in baggy black cargo pants that were too long and a close fitting black turtleneck. A tiny ice-blue heart pendant on a silver chain rested around her neck, standing out well against the black.

"Is we ready to go?" she asked, still happily, but calmer than before.

–: I liked her better in the other outfit. :– Youko pouted.

Yes but it was hardly society appropriate. -

–: Hell, it was barely guest appropriate and you know it. :–

Hai, at least you do though. Sometimes I wonder. -

–: At least she put on something else before she let the others in... :–

Yeah... Hey! Stop that- Youko was replaying images of her body in his mind. Hentai kitsune thief. And it was extremely distracting.

"Sure." Yusuke said. "At least we're getting something out of this."

"Allons-y, then!" (( – French! Well, not the 'then'))

"Ano... What was that?" Kuwabara asked.

"French." she responded, shooing them out the door. Kurama wasn't surprised to see Hiei already out in the hall.

If you keep pulling disappearing and appearing acts like that she'll get suspicious. - he sent to the irritated looking youkai.

:Hn. She already knows. : he shot back, and flitted off.

"I know the perfect place." Karuri announced to them, setting off down the hall.

Definitely calmer, colder than before. What had happened? She wasn't even like this in school.

"Are you all right, Karuri?" he asked her, catching up to walk next to her and leaving Yusuke and Kuwabara following them, engaged in one of their useless squabbles.

"Of course, why do you ask?" She looked up at him with troubled eyes that flashed pale blue for a moment before returning to their original blue-green color.

Definitely not convincing him.

* * *

Neko: All's done! 

Sao: (wakes up) Whaaat? You did an entire chapter without me?

Karuri: Yep. Sugar crashes do seem to keep people down for a while, don't they?

Kurama: Don't worry, it all went smoothly in your absence.

Sao: What? You guys don't love me? (Sobs)

Kurama: (sweatdrops)

Karuri: Sao, stop acting like that before I have to accuse you of PMSing.

Sao: What? I'm not PMSing.

Karuri: And will you stop saying 'what?'

Neko: Yeah, I thought I taught you better than to go around saying just 'what?' all the time.

Sao: Now listen here, you conceited little denizen of a muse, I taught you all you know and not the other way around.

Neko: Oh yeah? Wanna bet?

Karuri: Oh dear. Not again.

Kurama: How long are we here again?

Sao: Anyhow, thanks so much to all of my reviewers! It made me feel loved and important! Kami I nearly stopped breathing when I found out everybody actually likes this! (throws milky ways/snickers/nestle crunches to all)

Angel Sari Neko Jeminie Indigo: I would never offer violence to people who don't know what R.E.M is, because doing so would leave me very, very, very tired at the end of the day. It's a musical group (obviously... I think. My judgement isn't very clear on this though...) Ummm. I'm not sure what else there is to describe it. O well. I'm a little lacking on knowing anything about the real world. Mine is so much more fun. Eheh. Agree with you totally on enjoying every minute of it.

Animegirl417: I will be trying to update every Wednesday. If I manage this, though, hell might experience a turn for the glacial, so, ano...

Owl: OOOHH! I feel so loved! And everybody's stories are good! Share the love! (unless your embarrassed of yours like I am of mine... there are so many of mine that I enjoy overly much, but don't feel right putting on the net... so I shouldn't be talking, ne?)

A Crazy Elephant: Yay! I thought you'd never find me! Took you long enough. I'm glad you like it. I distributed crunches just for you. Oh, and graham crackers. Dundundun... Did you know I obsessed over the end of the world song before I even knew R.E.M existed? Actually, I still didn't know it was an R.E.M song until I came home one night last year telling mother about this awesome group called R.E.M that I heard at Rachel's house...

Well! I feel better now. See you all next week... we hope.


	4. The Battle Within

The Battle Within

Sao: Well! Guess what I was finally reminded I have been forgetting?

Kurama: What?

Karuri: COME ON! the fact that she doesn't own YOU?

Kurama: But doesn't everybody already know that?

Sao: You would be surprised. And I have to say it or else Neko will become grasping and start thinking she does own you.

Neko: HEY!

Sao: You know it's true.

Karuri: (sighs) well, on to the chapter then.

Sao: NO! I have one more thing to say! Science Olympiad Regionals competition is coming up this Saturday! And oh Kami I am so unprepared! it's not even funny!

Neko: Lets continue the chapter while Sao hyperventilates.

Sao: I am NOT hyperventilating!

Karuri/Kurama: Yes you are.

* * *

Karuri had thought there would be hell to pay for letting one element take control that much. Well, she had been wrong.

There was more than hell.

All the other elements rebelled, even the water element, the close cousin to ice. There was a war raging on in her body and there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop it. Damn that little youkai to hell and back and then back to hell permanently. Or worse, hand him over to some underworld-lings.

It was actually a miracle she had managed to get through the time with the other people and then get back to her place. Kurama had suspected something was wrong, probably. He kept on throwing her funny looks. She found out why upon glancing in the mirror.

The vivid green-blue of the eyes she had given her illusion had faded to the pale, icy blue that matched that element, though the rest of the illusion remained perfect. She shivered. This was not a place to be when all the elements of fire, electricity, earth, water, air, plants, darkness, light, and even the power of telekinesis, which wasn't technically an element, were at war with the iron control of ice, which she had so foolishly allowed to take over to the point where she could fool a youkai who was obviously better at this than she.

Unknown to the pitiful figure now curled shivering on the thin mattress, her eyes began to switch colors madly as tears welled from their depths. She clutched herself desperately in pain, trying to now merely survive as the immense powers swirled within their containment, her body, each fighting madly now to be let out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

There had definitely been something wrong with Karuri. The girl was paler than usual, and with her fair skin, that was saying a lot. And she had been acting oddly, detached and cold.

And the final clincher- her eyes were not their normal vibrant color, but a pale icy blue that no human had ever achieved as a color without contacts. Not to mention the fact that her eyes switched colors at all...

Sigh. What was he to do? He really didn't know her all that well. Sure, she was fun, and didn't chase madly after him (thank Kami) and yes, he was attracted to her, and true, even Youko was intrigued, but...

–: You are going to go check and that is final. :–

I can't do that! What if she doesn't want to be "checked" on?-

–: You are going to do it or I will take over and do it for you. :–

What's with you?- Normally the fox would never be this touchy or demanding about anything, especially not someone human they had only just met.

–: Go. :–

Kurama rolled his eyes. There was no arguing with an unfathomable kitsune. Their minds worked in strange, unfathomable ways.

–: Are you denying that you want to check up on her as well:–

Yowch. Youko had him there.

Okay, okay, okay. I'm going, see?-

He started off in the direction of the apartments where Karuri lived.

((ten minutes later))

Why did renegade kitsune thieves sharing a body with you have to be so annoying? Oh yeah. Because they were renegade kitsune thieves sharing a body with you.

When he was in front of her door about to ring the bell Youko stopped him, yelling

–: NO! We're breaking in and then she can't pretend, baka:–

The problem with Youko was that he had to be right all the time. He easily picked the lock on the door (there were some advantages to sharing with a thief) and quietly closed it behind him. The apartment was quiet. Too quiet. And cold.

Suddenly the temperature flashed up about fifty degrees briefly, before settling and then being broken by a wave of static that lifted the hairs on his arms. Minute fluctuations continued as he made his way towards the room the tension seemed to come from.

He hurried his step at the tiny whimpering sound that made its way to his ears, pulling open the door to the room where he had deposited all of the boxes full of junk.

It was dim already, but that kept changing. It would grow more shadowy and then less, then settle briefly before being broken once by a single flash that blinded him momentarily.

When his eyes had recovered he saw Karuri curled on the bed in a small pitiful-looking ball. Her thin, fragile looking body shook with the strain of repressing something from breaking free. Suddenly she was released from the tense ball to arch her back and scream heart-piercingly.

Instinctively he sat down on the bed and gathered her into his arms. She immediately molded herself frantically to his body, grabbing onto his neck and twining her delicate hands in his hair for support.

"Shhh, it's gonna be okay." he whispered soothingly in her ear.

"Th, they're, they're all tr, trying to get out. I can't hold on, it keeps on ripping at me." she sobbed brokenly.

Boy, when he found out who did this, they were going to be in deep trouble. His eyes flashed to the golden orbs of Youko, and stayed there.

–: There. She is a kitsune, see:–

You thought so the entire time and you didn't tell me?-

–: You were so intent on deluding yourself I didn't even try. :–

Of course. Of course she would be the one they were supposed to be bringing in, the one Koenma wanted to thrust into Makai and a seething stew of dangers. He hugged her shaking form to him protectively.

A minute passed as they sat like that, the light in the room continuing to flicker, Karuri with her face buried in his shoulder, which was damp from the involuntary tears, her form shaking convulsively, and he cradling her limp body and softly breathing sounds of reassurance into her hair. All this was so sudden, he didn't have any time to think. It didn't matter right now that he had only met her less than a week ago. It only mattered that she was in pain, and that he was there to comfort her as best he could. He could feel the fever heat radiating from her.

Her breathing began to speed up, coming in short sharp bursts, and she tightened her grip in his hair, as the room went suddenly very dark and cold. Very, very cold.

What the hell is going on here?-

–: Ah, I believe that would be ice. :–

They were distracted by the scream that tore from her throat as what was suddenly claws dug into his shoulders. Her hair had changed in an instant from dark dusky brown to colors fading from black at the ends to white-blond at the top, shimmering as an illusion was broken, or lost control of.

Then her eyes were open again, staring into his surprisedly, seeming not to know what had happened in the last five minutes or so. Maybe more. Her eyes were a clear, searing dark orange-red color.

"Who... Kurama?" she asked, voice gravelly from screams, before she went limp again, this time asleep. Carefully he settled her onto the thin mattress, lying beside her still too-warm body protectively. He could think in the morning.

How did this one person they had barely gotten to know make the line between Youko and Shuichi blur so?

* * *

Sao: AAAGH! short, sucky chappie! NEKO! where are you?

Karuri: Okay, Sao, calm down. You're scaring me.

Sao: NEKO!

Kurama: Is she okay?

Sao: NO! I'm not okay! My muse has abandoned me! She has run off and hid in a corner and I can't find her and that is why this chapter is short and sucky! NEKO! Where are you!

Karuri: Umph. Sao, you can look for Neko later. She'll show up when she wants to.

Sao: (deep breath) Okay. I guess you're right. Anyhow, on a better note, WE WON Regionals! First place! We got thirteen firsts out of twenty-three events and only didn't medal in two events!

Kurama: Weren't you just saying Regionals were coming up this weekend and you were unprepared up there?

Sao: Yes. It takes me this long to write a chapter, isn't it sad? I can be talking about things coming up in the beginning and giving the results by the end of the chapter. Anyhow, thanks to all those wonderful people who reviewed! And we're still focusing on creating glacial sediment deposits in hell!

Karuri: Hai, she's been in Science Olympiad too much lately.

Kurama: Definitely.


	5. Dawn Light Breaks

Dawn Light Breaks

Sao: AAAAIIIIEEEE! (Ducks incoming radishes from booing crowd as she finally appears on the scene) Help! Karuri! Kurama!

Karuri/Kurama: (hurry in) what is it– AACK! (duck veggies being flung)

Sao: The people are throwing veggies at me! (hides behind them)

Karuri: Well why do you think that is?

Kurama: Maybe because she left this chappie unwritten for a heinous amount of time?

Sao: IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR! I got kicked off the computer entirely for TWO WHOLE WEEKS! It was complete torture! Torture, I tell you! Aagh! So, this is the first Wednesday I've been allowed back on the computer, and ano... Here it is?

Kurama: (sighs)

Sao: I TOLD YOU IT WASN'T MY FAULT DAMMIT!

Karuri: Let's ano... go now. (Grabs Kurama and runs from room) (angry crowd continues throwing veggies as soon as their favorite characters are gone)

Sao: AACK! Hey! throwing veggies equals I'm too busy dodging them to write properly! So stop! EEK! (ducks one last eggplant) (crowd finally stops booing at lateness) Gomen nasai! Thank Kami they stopped throwing stuff...

* * *

Karuri woke up to the light coming in through the window, warm and comfortable despite the lack of a blanket. Her body wasn't really responding all that well to her brain, and she was sore all over. Not really wanting to awaken quite yet, she relaxed herself again next to the warm pillow at her back.

Wait. When had that gotten there? She opened her eyes again, wincing at the light pooling in the room. Locks of her hair, fading through shades of strawberry and dark auburn to black, came into her vision, mixed with deep blood-red. Damn. Her illusion must have come off last night. Or at least part of it, she amended, noticing the lack of tails.

Oh, well, that didn't exactly matter. It wasn't like anyone was around to notice her hair being over eighteen inches longer, and such a unique pattern. Even youkai back at home thought her hair might have been dyed... She was getting off on tangents now. But really, did that matter? Tangents were good... Good tangents...

And she really, really didn't want to relive in any detail whatsoever the extreme torture she had gone through last night. Never, ever upset the balance, had been the lesson pounded into her, over and over and over again during training. Training was hard, she had thought, yes, it was hell of sorts. But there, all the focus had been on creating and maintaining a balance. This was all caused by trying to preserve her identity from one little aura-delving youkai. And therein lay the difference.

There was only one good part in the crazy, painful hallucinations last night, and that had been rising out of the hellfire working its way through the icy cold that froze every last bit of her, and burned alive at the same time, to find those wonderful swirly green gold eyes set in a face framed by blood-red hair... It would have looked exactly like Kurama, if it weren't for the gold eyes.

Ah, she was being silly. What would a Kurama look-alike with gold eyes be doing here? She shifted to be pressed flush with the warmth, and was surprised when an arm snaked around her waist.

Immediately she sat straight up in a jolt of realization, only to be swamped by a wave of dizziness as the cold air of the room washed over her. The man beside her sat up, looking at her through vivid gold eyes. She found that her throat wasn't working anymore. Who was this person? It looked like Kurama, but his emerald eyes couldn't be confused with the bright gold of this person at all. As he merely sat next to her and looked her over, quirking his head just the tiniest bit, she finally found enough voice to say,

"Ano... are you Kurama's twin, by any chance?" She winced at her own voice. It was harsh and broken, as if she'd been screaming. It was not her voice. That voice belonged to someone else.

"No, tawainai," he said, one side of his mouth quirking up into a smile. That was not Kurama's voice either. It was deeper and slightly seductive, sending shivers up her spine. (tawainai silly)

"Then... who are you?"

"You were very right when you said Youko Kurama hates people stealing his name." he said, leaning in towards her to whisper in her ear, his hot breath washing over her cheek. "I do. Which is why it's a very good thing nobody has, ne?" He leaned back a bit to study her face.

Her eyes widened. He was... Youko Kurama? The Youko Kurama? He didn't look anything like the pictures in her history books. The Youko Kurama had silver hair, not blood red, and fox ears and tails like any kitsune.

"You don't look like you're supposed to." she managed to accuse, her voice cracking.

"Neither do you, kitto." he said back, managing somehow to look faintly amused and worried at the same time. "No kitsune looks exactly like they should in the Ningenkai."

He knew she was a kitsune? How the hell did he figure that out? She had no giveaways in her illusion, nothing— she noticed again the multicolored hair spilling over her shoulders and pooling on the bed just slightly. Oh kuso. Her illusion.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Youko watched in amusement as her eyes widened in panic at the sight of her own hair, and as she quickly checked to make sure she didn't have any tails. The fear in her scent was almost as tempting as her own scent, with or without the faked humanity blended in. Her scent was still covered up, actually. It was merely her eyes and hair that had changed, though he enjoyed watching her eyes, which had been a clear orange-red when she woke up, flash through a swirling green gray to a dark, bright fuschia-violet.

"Wha-what happened to KuraShuichi?" she asked, her voice blurred around the edges with slight relief and still rough and harsh from last night. The eyes began to relax back towards a more bluish color, gaining a tinge of the color they were in her illusion.

"Oh, he's still here." Youko responded, letting his heightened amusement show in his voice. "He's merely still asleep. I may not be able to take full form, but I can take control of the body while he is asleep or knocked out."

"Of the– so you DID die!" she breathed, her brow furrowing adorably at him. The eyes flashed to completely forest green, with the faintest tinges of gray swirling withing there depths.

"Not quite, kitto. After all, here I am." He raised an eyebrow at her and watched her breath quicken slightly. Ah, sweet revenge. Kurama might not have noticed it that much, but he certainly had. Yesterday afternoon. She had been playing with them. Classic kitsune behavior. It was only right that he be allowed to play back, though, perhaps now was not the time. Her mouth tightened as some jolt of pain, from what, he couldn't tell, hit her. But then, he never did go for the conflicting powers thing. That was Hiei's gripe.

Youko... What's going on?- came Kurama's still slightly confused, sleepy voice. If he had his tails, Youko would have swished them in frustration. And here he was having such a nice conversation with the first prospective mate material he had encountered in a loooong time.

–: Go back to sleep Kurama. :– he grouched back bad-temperedly.

Huh?- his human counterpart immediately jerked fully awake at this.

"Karuri?"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Karuri?" he asked, his eyes swirling green-gold as his voice went back to the one she knew. So the other one hadn't been lying about being the same person, and no wonder he was called Kurama. Who hadn't heard of possession as one of the last resorts for staying alive? And it would explain Youko's body never really being found. It probably dissolved as the soul left it. The only reason they thought he was dead was due to the word of the youkai who killed him.

"Are you okay?" he said, sounding and looking generally confused. It hadn't been as evident under the perfect control and elegance of Youko, but his red hair was mussed and his eyes wide now, concern written over his beautiful features. He reached over and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, wonderingly quirking his head at her.

"I'm fine, Kurama." she reassured him, managing a smile. Her body was stiff still, and seemed to be freezing in this position. Damn it all... It was just her luck, of course.

"You don't look all right." he rebuked her gently, pulling her over to him. She gasped and shut her eyes tightly as her muscles screamed in protest at the movement, then managed to relax against his body heat. "Mind telling me exactly what was going on last night?" he said. She opened her eyes to see him looking down at her, one eyebrow raised slightly.

"It was nothing." she murmured quietly, looking down and away from his face.

"Nothing?" She couldn't see him, but she could hear one eyebrow being raised in disbelief. "'Nothing' had you screaming and whimpering and like this now?"

She winced slightly both at his words and as his arm tightened around her. At least his warmth was relaxing her to the point where she could almost move.

"O-okay, it wasn't nothing." she admitted, her voice still cracking slightly. "It was just a battle for control."

"Stop trying to play it down, kitto." he warned, his voice deepening to that of Youko again.

"I don't have anything else to describe it!" she tried to yell, frustrated, but her voice broke and she was reduced to a harsh whisper. "All the elements don't really get together for a big happy party and stay the best of friends for ever and ever!"

Great, way to go, Karuri, she thought to herself. If there ever was a way to announce to the world "hello, I'm an elemental kitsune," that was it. Hmph. Like he didn't know before, if he was there last night. All of that turmoil not showing up outside her body? Not a chance.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Youko! Stop trying that! Can't you see it's hurting her?- Kurama yelled at his counterpart, who had managed to gain temporary control.

–: I want to know, dammit:– the kitsune complained, but relinquished control to him.

Why?- Kurama asked, curious in spite of himself.

–: Well you need to know these things about a possible mate. :– Youko replied, sounding slightly disgruntled.

Kurama was distracted from his disbelief and the continuation of their conversation briefly as Karuri sighed at the lack of further questions and melted against him, causing a warm shiver to pass through his body.

What do you mean, possible mate?- he demanded. -We've known her barely a week!-

–: How long you've known someone is not the issue when you have multiple reasons to believe that they are an extremely powerful race of kitsune, almost rarer than your own. It doesn't hurt that she's as attractive as she is. If this is a toned down illusion... I can't wait to see her with it off. :–

Trust Youko to find a way to include that in his assessment.

How do you know she would be friendly to those advances!- He returned.

–: She's here in our arms, isn't she:– Unsufferable smugness tinged the kitsune's voice.

The situation's a little different.- Kurama insisted dryly.

–: That is beside the point. :–

There was absolutely no point in arguing with him today, was there?

* * *

Sao: okay, I'm aware of the fact that this chapter went absolutely nowhere. I DO have some plans for this story that I'm very happy with, I'm just not so sure how to implement them, and right now, I'm writing this at two thirty in the morning so that I can post as I should for once. And to avoid being attacked by veggies again.

Karuri: (snickers)

Sao: Shut up Karuri.

Kurama: Hey, was that Neko over there?

Sao: Why yes! How nice of you to notice! Neko has finally returned to me, and with a vengeance. I have another story that I might be attempting regular posts on... not that I even have the first chapter done yet. I love the characters in it too... sighs.

Oh, and thank you to the wonderful reviewers! I felt so loved! (sniffs.) Unfortunately, like I said, it's two in the morning and I'm lazy and I can't respond individually right now. I might try next chapter, k? Gomen.

Karuri: Ja ne, minna-san!


	6. Tomorrow is Another Day

Tomorrow is Another Day

And There is Always Another Tomorrow.

Till Pigs Have Wings,

And Nova Rings,

Engulf the Universe.

Karuri: Annoooooo... Sao? What is THAT? (Points up.)

Sao: WASN'T ME! BLAME NEKO! (points furiously at the small furry frame of the black and white cat tapping delicately at the keyboard with one paw, huge fluffy tail wrapped all the way around it) AWWW! Why does that damn muse have to be so KAWAII! (Lunges for Neko)

Neko: AAAAAHH! Insane kitty-lover Sao! Don't let her get me! (Jumps into Kurama's arms)

Kurama: (looks startled)

Karuri: Does anybody second me when I say, huh?

Neko: DON'T LET HER GET ME! SHE'LL HUG THE LIFE OUT OF ME!

Kurama: Why does that scenario sound vaguely familiar... o yes.

Karuri: Because she does it to any living being in the universe?

Kurama: Well, that too, but I was going to say because it seems so similar to how Kuwabara can act when there's a cat around...

Sao: (stiffens) WHAT? HOW... HOW DARE YOU COMPARE ME TO HIM?

Karuri: Leaving now.

Kurama: Right behind you.

Sao: OH NO YOU DON'T!

Neko: (is released to the typing pad once more) Phew. Well, at least she's not after ME this time! (hums)

Saor: Is it just me or is a cat humming instead of purring the weirdest thing ever?

Neko: Go away Saor.

Saor: But... but... I'M THE YAMI TO SAO'S HIKARI! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO AWAY! MWAHAHA-(chokes)

Neko: (whispers) actually, Saor is the delusional hikari. Sao, or Saori, is the hentai yami. But don't tell them I said that. They're convinced it's the other way around. Oh, and sorry for the extremely long intro! On to the story!

Readers: FINALLY!

Neko: (gulps)

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Karuri wasn't aware she had fallen asleep again, but when she awoke, there was no comforting presence at her back. The only real sign that it hadn't been a dream was...

Her eyes widened at the definite proof that her secret was out. It was the dark green jacket that Kurama had been wearing when he came over... the first time, when she was still concerned with cleaning house. And when they went to that diner where she usually was washing dishes. And... she didn't remember whether he had it on still last time she saw him, but she was pretty sure from the memory of his body heat that it had been something far lighter he had been wearing underneath it, not the heavy jacket.

And so it began again. How soon would it be before the underworld-lings came for her? Would Youko tell? Would Kurama? Was there a difference? Should she leave right now?

In an unplanned attempt to calm her rising distress she burrowed her face into the jacket, inhaling the scent of roses and other green things. Letting her youkai senses go, she sniffed at the further messages contained in that scent...

And jolted up from it, alarmed. She had been far too distressed and confused before to realize it. Kitto. That's what he kept calling her. Kit. A pet name? Certainly, as far as the kitsune tradition went, that was just a step away from koi. That was granting himself permission to court her. And the message went deeper than that. It was in Youko's scent on the jacket:

He wanted her– HER– as a potential lifelong mate. That was saying a lot. Kitsunes tended to go with their first instincts as far as mating went, but finding a lifelong mate meant considering someone your equal, and it involved a courting process meant to make sure this was true. A courting process that tested self-control and power in many ways, pulling the relationship into the most intimate situations yet demanding it be platonic. It was an ancient tradition that the highest ranks of kitsune kept.

And he was asking to initialize it.

She couldn't! She was on the run from the Reikai-lings! She couldn't start that sort of thing right now! What if they found her?

'It would be the perfect way to start the first twist of courtship,' her traitorous mind whispered. 'To see if he really means it.'

What was wrong with her life? Youko had to be at least three hundred years older than her, and possibly more. Not that this made him old on a youkai time frame. It just made her extremely young. Which she was. Kitsune might reach sexual maturity before they were a hundred years old, but that didn't mean... Lifelong mate! Kami, but this... this was scaring her.

But... at the same time, it was a nice kind of scared. Not like the 'Kami I'm going to die' scared she had been last night.

Bad thoughts. Definitely not thinking about last night. Nope. NO WAY IN HELL. She was going to find something to do.

Although, she thought as she managed to lever herself off the bed, hopefully I can find something that doesn't involve moving too much...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Hey, Kurama. Kurama. YOo hOo, Kurama. ANYBODY HOME?"

Kurama snapped out of his silent argument with Youko (-What were you saying before I woke up?- –: Nothing. (smirk) :–) to see a mildly annoyed and amused Yusuke waving his hand in front of Kurama's face.

"You can stop that, onegai, Yusuke." Kurama said calmly, pulling away from the offending hand slightly.

"Geez, for once **I** am the one actually thinking about working! What the hell is wrong with my world!"

"Gee, I dunno, Urameshi, maybe that you're in it?" Kuwabara jabbed in.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke roared, slapping his unfortunate fellow detective over the back of the head.

"Onegai, you two. Haven't you grown past that yet?" Kurama sighed.

"Hn. Of course not. They're both baka." Hiei sneered.

"Shut up, shrimp!" Kuwabara yelled.

How was it that all the people around him who were supposed to save the world on a regular basis be so immature? That would probably forever be a mystery. He supposed they just kind of brought out the worst in each other.

Kurama roused himself from the reverie just as Hiei finished pounding Kuwabara into semi unconsciousness.

"Sooo..." Yusuke began. "Do we have any leads?"

"Hn. That kitsune from yesterday."

"Say what? Karuri? The name matches, but Hiei, dude, not getting any youki readings off her." Yusuke scoffed.

"According to what I found when she attempted a probe, she is an Arctic kitsune, most likely. Although. There were some massive power surges coming from the general direction of that part of the city last night." Hiei settled back from what was an amazingly long and involved speech for him and proceeded to mildly glare at all around him as he did on a daily basis.

"Oi, I know what shrimp's talking about for once! That was major creepy last night! Gave me goosebumps!" a still slightly dazed Kuwabara put in.

Oh dear. Not a good way for this conversation to be going.

–: THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH HER! WE'RE GOING TO GO TO KOENMA AND GET THIS CASE DROPPED! TELL THEM THAT:– Youko yelled furiously inside his head.

: What was that about, fox:

Sometimes I wish you wouldn't listen in every time, Hiei. - Kurama replied tiredly to Hiei's sharp mental question.

: It's hard not to when the fox is yelling that loud. :

–: That's about my FUTURE MATE, THANK YOU **VERY** MUCH:– Youko grumped.

YOUKO!-

–: Oh stop griping you... you inconspicuous vacuous person. The whole point of the courting process INVOLVES making sure you're not afraid to let everyone know. High end kitsune life-mating is NOT that sort of romantic down-low crap. :–

:You? THE Youko Kurama is thinking about a life-mate after all this time:

–: With the last of the elemental kitsune? Not a bad match, ne? We're still getting this case dropped. These baka-ne are NOT going to be going chasing after MY future mate. It's unheard of to let your partner stay in any sort of prospective danger during the courting process. :

You keep talking about this courting process! What is it, anyway? -

–: It's the way employed by high-rank - that's five tails or more, if you were wondering- kitsune to make sure that the one they are looking at is truly life-mate material. Of course, I doubt it's even necessary in this case. I am known for having very good instincts. :– Youko finished smugly.

: Which is, of course, why you died. :

–: Be quiet, zasshu. :–

(A/N: I considered stopping it here, but I figured, so long as I am staying up late to type, let's stay up later and put in another scene, ne?)

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"You two, I don't think we should worry about this case any longer." Kurama said quietly, getting up from his seat on the bench in the park they were meeting in. Hiei was leaning against the tree in whose shade the bench was located, and Yusuke and Kuwabara were both standing up in front of the bench, making sure they were ready for a fight with one another at any time.

"Huh? Why not, Kurama?" Yusuke inquired.

"Because it involves the one who I intend to court for a life-mate."

Hiei couldn't resist a wide smirk stretching across his face. The fox was blushing, just slightly enough that it might not be noticed by someone less observant. But the human side of Kurama was not near as comfortable with the whole kitsune process as his Youko counterpart. (Hiei didn't even want to THINK about the courting process– there were so many convoluted twists and tiny rules, and it was just one of the more idiotic trends as he looked at it. But for some reason the kitsune liked it.)

"SAY WHAT THE HELL?" Yusuke, predictably, exploded.

"Need I repeat myself? I thought the message was rather clear." Ha. Kurama just didn't want to have to say it again because he'd probably end up blushing more.

"That is just freaky. You and, and... Isn't life-mate like, married?" Kuwabara said, staring at Kurama with "WEIRD" written all over his face. So the human actually had half a brain rattling around in his empty head. Amazing.

"Yes, it is. And if you don't mind, I intend to inform Koenma that this case need no longer be pursued. Oh, and, one more thing." His eyes flashed dangerously to the cold golden orbs of Youko and his voice deepened. "If I get wind of you following this any more– well, you'd be putting my future mate in danger and- dangers to the future mate must be eliminated." He quirked his head innocently at them. "I'm sure you understand."

He walked off, presumably to "convince" Koenma not to pursue this case. Hiei would have liked to see that one. Endless amusement could be found in the suffering of the princeling. Oh well. He would have to settle for the "what just happened" stunned and intimidated looks on the two ningen's faces, which were, after all, priceless. Just once Hiei actually wished he had a camera.

((A/N: Another stopping point! But alas! I'm on a role! Readers: THAT'S NOT A BAD THING, BAKA! Sao: it isn't? Readers: GET ON WITH IT! Sao: O.o right...))

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Stamp. Stamp. Stamp.

Koenma was holed up in his office with the endless mountain of papers around him, and of course his trusty never-dry ink pad and rubber stamp. He wished for something to break the monotony of his never ending pattern.

Stamp. Stamp. Stamp. Crreeaak.

Oh dear. That cursed, cursed door. Not more papers, please Kami. Wait, wasn't that a bit redundant, seeing as he was a demi-god himself? Oh well. He refused to look up from what he was stamping to see the new pile of papers George was going to plop on his desk. It would just be too disheartening to actually SEE the pile. Maybe if he didn't look, he could happily convince himself it wasn't there.

"Hello, Koenma." The stamp stopped on it's way down to the next paper, a droplet of ink falling from its corner. That wasn't George. That was the infrequently heard voice of– YOUKO?

He whipped his gaze up from the papers to see Kurama lounging idly against the wall next to his desk. His hair was still bright red, but his eyes– were the merciless ones of Youko.

((A/N: I love that color combo– red and gold... pwetty... Karuri: (bashes sao) GET ON WITH IT! Sao: owwie... right-o then... meanies.))

Koenma gulped. What would Youko be doing partly in control like that, and what did he want with him?

"Aah... Hai, Kurama?" he responded nervously to the previously offered greeting.

"As you might have guessed from my presence, we have something we need to speak about."

Koenma could just imagine the tails swishing dangerously as Kurama stalked to shadow over him from the other side of the desk. He didn't have to imagine the glint of a fang.

"W-which is?" He couldn't quite conceal the tremor in his voice. Why did he have to go and keep these dangerous people on the spirit detective team? At least Yusuke's bad-natured teasing was harmless!

"The matter of the case you put us on earlier. Karuri. I want any and all investigations concerning her halted."

"Huh? Why?" Koenma was mystified. That was definitely an odd request. And not at all what he had been expecting. He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting, but it didn't include that.

"Because," Kurama/Youko hissed dangerously, leaning over the desk and resting his hands on top of the work surface, "As my intended life-mate, any 'investigations' you might send would be considered a threat to her well being. And any threat to her well being..." he paused, seeming to consider, though from the glint in his eye, he was just letting Koenma be scared.

Koenma was scared.

"Would have to be... terminated."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sao: Wahoooooo! very long chappie there according to me! And my rating scale!

Neko: pfft. Which is rather pathetic, I might add.

Saor: Well, there are many people with shorter chappies than us.

Sao: Fun stuff planned for next chapter! The courting process! Which, if I can't find a place to properly explain my idea for it (it is mine, btw) I will do so somewhere out of story! But it's amusing... (evil smile)

Saor: You mean entirely evil.

Neko: (whispers) see what I mean about them being mixed up?

Sao/Saor: Shut up you stupid muse.

Neko: If I shut up, you two can't write. I'm your muse.

Sao/Saor: (growls)

Karuri: (sigh) see what I have to put up with.

Kurama/Youko: I could "terminate" them.

Karuri: No, then there wouldn't be any story...

Sao: ANYHOW! QUESTION FOR REVIEWERS:

Do you want this to just be the slightly pointless, cute little romance thing with the extremely cute and amusing (in my view) ending, or do you want me to introduce my bad guy and actually have (gasp!) A PLOT! that would go along with everything that would happen in the cute one?

Neko: Really, Sao, is that a DUMB question or what? LIKE they're ever going to vote "o, don't have a plot, we want it to be shorter and have less to read" pfft.

Sao: HEY, I can hope! And anyhow, this coming from the muse that just blindly follows my friend Keahi around anywhere she goes!

Neko: I DO NOT— ooh, Keahi! (blindly follows)

Saor: NOW! thankies much too:

Ugly Kitten: Yay! I feel loved I get an award! Anyhow, I will try veryvery hard not to get grounded from the computer again (it sucks– and during spring break too! pouts) will continue to update wednesdays! Which, for me, means... Anytime between two p.m andtwo a.m on Wednesday night... no, I'm serious that's when I get all my typing done... And people ask me why I sleep through geometry!

Sillylittlenothing: ooo! Thankies for amulet! (uses it to ward off zombie nekos with squashes– don't know where they came from but–) cool! It works! Anyhow, the thing is about other stories is that this one interferes with them WAAAY more than the other way around. So if I tried... they wouldn't get updated regularly.

animebishieluver: I know exactly what you're talking about... (gazes blankly into space until saor whacks her over the back of the head) D'OH! Yeah, anyhow, thanks for the review!

Kaily: Hello new reviewer! (Feels loved) OH! Since I forgot— for you and everyone else up there– (passes out key lime bars and double fudge brownies) WITH SPLENDA! O.o that was random...

Sao: Well, that's all. Ja ne for now and SEE YOU NEXT WEEK (we hope.) Hell might have melted again... but not for long! (evil smirk)


	7. Chocolate

Chocolate

Sao: Well, lookie see! ANOTHER CHAPPIE! New record for Sao as for length of stories. Well, posted, decent stories, anyhow.

Saor: Sao, you have problems.

Sao: I know... Anyhow, we have something that I have been forgetting for quite a while.

Neko: NO! We haven't forgotten anything! Not anything! Never!

Kurama: Actually, yes, Sao/Saor/Neko doesn't own me.

Karuri: Nope, that's me! She owns me!

Neko: NOOOO! Why'd you have to go and do that? I was all set to change the copyright records on you too... STUPID HONEST PEOPLE!

Sao: I've changed my mind, Neko is the yami and Saor can be the muse.

Saor: Huh? I'm not a muse. I don't have any ideas. My only purpose is to make sarcastic remarks and laugh maniacally. MWAHAHAHA– (chokes)

Sao: Nice job. At least I can do the maniacal laugh properly.

Saor: Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try!

Sao: You pathetic BUG! I will crush your life! MWAhahahahahahahahahahah!

Saor: I hate you...

Neko: Do you see my point about Saor. hikari, Sao. yami?

Sao/Saor: WE HEARD THAT! WE'RE THE OTHER WAY AROUND!

Karuri: I'm inclined to believe Neko, actually.

Kurama: Mm-hmm.

Sao/Saor: Traitors...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Karuri was fairly happy at the moment. Actually, she was fairly drunk at the moment. Chocolate tended to have that effect on kitsune. It wasn't drunk the way ningen tended to get. It was more like sugar-high way too hyper can't even think sort of drunk.

Which was why she was dancing around the tree in the park instead of in her apartment where she probably was supposed to be. Actually, chocolate could become a dangerous drug-like substance to the younger kitsune, becoming less potent as you grew older. It could even stunt your power expand if you had it in any large quantities before you were over fifty or sixty years old.

Giggling slightly through her chocolate-induced haze, she slipped on the grass and went down by the trunk of the tree, flopping willingly and inhaling deeply the green scent of the small soft plants.

She should really remember to do this more often. But then, she wouldn't remember any of this. She would just find herself somewhere, where ever she woke up. Imagining the future made her mind blurrier even than it already was.

Pushing herself up from the ground, Karuri found herself looking up at the scowling red-eyed face of somebody clothed all in black. She had the inkling that there was supposed to be some reason she wasn't supposed to like this guy, but then again, she had no idea why she wouldn't like him. Had she met him before? He didn't look familiar... and neither did the neon-green sparrows and hot pink hearts that were dancing around his head. Actually, those were all around. Laughing, she reached out to pet a particularly bright bird fluttering near the edge of her vision. It flew just out of her grasp.

Forgetting completely the other person, she struggled to her feet to chase after the bird, her eyes lighting up when she realized that it was a color changing bird! But it just wouldn't let her catch it. No matter how she tried, it just flew out of her reach... around and around in a great big circle. Like the sky blue ones that kept on flashing in front of her eyes like a circle light bulb being turned on...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Kurama was aimlessly wandering, unconsciously heading towards Karuri's apartments, when Hiei contacted him.

: Fox, is this your crazy onna: he asked, sending an image of what was unmistakably Karuri in a loose, chocolate brown v-neck tee and dark blue jeans, running as if chasing something (nothing was there) and with a happy, goofy smile pasted on her blissful face.

What the heck?- Kurama asked.

: Don't ask me. I'm in the park about two blocks from the onna's apartment. :

Kurama was already heading there.

The scene that met him when he arrived was almost exactly like the one in the image Hiei sent him, except that Karuri was running back and forth in drunken zig-zags rather than in a lopsided circle. Hiei was standing next to a park bench under a tree with a disgruntled look on his face as the female kitsune happily twirled past him.

Kurama stepped forward to catch the girl as she slipped on the grass, noting the sweet smell of chocolate on her breath as she sighed and blinked innocently up at him. She smiled again as her eyes tracked something around his head that was not there.

"What is wrong with that onna?" Hiei asked, finally daring to step further from the park bench to scowl at both of them.

He sighed at the cross-eyed girl in his arms as she tugged on the collar of his shirt to pull herself closer to his neck and sniff him delicately.

"Chocolate." he responded to Hiei's question, and at his confused look, elaborated. "Kitsune are very sensitive to the chemicals in the caocao bean. It's almost like a drug, except that there are no withdrawal symptoms and it's not quite as addicting. It gets less potent as you get older."

"Hn." the koorime snorted.

"Hey, I'ze your jacket, ya know." Karuri slurred sleepily in his ear. How much had she had? She was at least coherent, so he supposed that was a good thing.

"I know, Karuri." he assured her fondly as she hooked her chin over his shoulder and wound her arms around his neck, her warm breath fluttering his hair. Hiei rolled his eyes disgustedly at their antics and flitted away in an instant, probably to the top of the tree.

Kurama settled her more securely in his arms, doubting her ability to walk in a straight line right now, and set off for her apartment. Tomorrow was a full moon, the perfect night to initialize, and she would need her things, as he was planning to see if Genkai had an extra room in the temple (actually, he knew she did). After all, one couldn't go through kitsune courting processes as two ningen. And Kami knew what would happen if two multi-tailed creatures were found by ningen.

He ignored the strange looks from passers-by he was receiving for having the girl with her arms wrapped around his neck, sleeping, and him carrying her as if it were the sort of thing he did every day. The way her body pressed against his so innocently made him wish it was the sort of thing he did every day.

How long do you figure she'll be out?- he asked Youko.

–: Probably a few hours. Half an hour at the very least. :–

Chocolate was such an annoyance. He was glad that neither Youko or he were addicted to the substance. Granted it wouldn't be as hard on them as it was on her, but it would prove problematic in some situations.

He reached Karuri's apartment within a relatively short amount of time, deciding to sift through her pockets for the key rather than pick the lock again. It was tucked loosely in the front pocket of her jeans.

The apartment was just as much of a mess as he remembered it to be, save for that the debris had been organized if not cleaned. He settled her sleeping form on the bed, covering her up once again with his jacket, which was hooked over the corner of an open door.

Checking through some drawers and the closet he found that she had not unpacked much yet; all of her clothes were conveniently located in a single cardboard box with a duct-taped "x" on each side of it.

The easiest way to work this right now was to wait until she woke up. And there was a pile of dishes sitting on a counter out there that were annoying his neat-freak tendencies to no end...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Karuri blinked several times as she rose out of the haze that had enveloped her being some time back. She didn't really register how much time had passed. Just the feather-light sensation of floating on mist...

The scent of roses was dramatically increased around here, enough that she could smell it with repressed senses. Wait, where was she anyway?

She blinked, and the room came into higher focus. It was her room... strange. She thought for sure she'd end up on a roof or something... That was what usually happened when the neon sparrows were chasing her around...

Karuri realized that she had been covered up when she sat up and Kurama's jacket slid off of her again. Oof. Had someone brought her here after finding her on the roofs? She remembered being on a roof the last time... and the time before that... Yes, she had to admit it to herself, she was a bit of a chocolate addict. Especially dark chocolate... Of course, only dark chocolate led to the sparrows. Usually with milk chocolate you ended up just being extremely happy and slightly blurry.

She found that she was slightly stiff as she pushed aside the comforting jacket and couldn't for the life of her figure out why. Had she gotten herself banged up chasing the damn birds?

"Oof." she sighed to herself, sliding the door open. That was when she got the surprise of her life. Kurama was there, arranging the sparkling dishes, that she was sure had been left out in cute little rows (dirty) when she had left, in one of the cupboards that lined the kitchen wall. The sleeves of his pale green, long sleeve t-shirt with leaves and small kanji that she didn't care to make out right now printed near where his heart would be were rolled up still.

"Hello, kitto." he greeted her, meeting her surprised eyes with molten gold ones. Just like the morning... very far back in the morning, almost lost in the depths of time. Why did she remember gold eyes like that? She'd never seen Kurama with gold eyes; he had vivid emerald green eyes.

She'd never seen him with gold eyes... except for last night. And that morning. And that morning... he had...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

He watched with amusement as confusion, then dawning comprehension, then astonishment flitted across her face.

"Exactly how much chocolate did you have, tawainai?" he went on, unrolling the sleeves of his shirt.

"Eheh... only about three brownies, a quarter pound of fudge and half a bag of dark chocolate." she responded, looking slightly guilty.

"I marvel at your recovery skills then." he remarked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Stop looking at me like that. Chocolate IS widely considered a recovery food."

"By ningen."

"Meh." She looked crossly up at him, the expression only serving to make her seem cuter.

"If you have anything you'd like to bring, I know the perfect place for initialization of this without crossing into Makai." Youko remarked idly from where he was in partial control, ignoring Kurama's mental tugging to be let back.

Her eyes lost their cross look as they widened in almost disbelief. You could almost see the thought swirling around in her head; 'He meant it?'

"Tawainai kitto, of course I meant it. Would I have left it otherwise?"

WHAT are you talking about?- Kurama demanded.

–: We left her a message last night by scent. So that she would know of our intentions. Wouldn't be nice to take her by surprise, now, would it:– (insert mental evil predatory smirk)

When were you planning to tell me this?-

–: When you asked. :–

How typical.-

"Oh..." she murmured, wide eyes staring at him openly and innocently. After a moment she blinked, and lost the confused look with an indrawn breath. One side of her mouth kicked up in a playful smirk. "Of course."

"Then do you want any of this?"

"Not if it's unneeded. It can sit and gather dust for a month or so, never hurt it before. Just a minute while I put clothes into something more convenient than a box."

She turned away with a small skip-step and disappeared into her room.

Apparently chocolate didn't totally wear off that fast.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sao: oookay... gomen folks, that chappie didn't go as planned. But it's one-thirty and I'm feeling extremely lazy and it was a really good stopping point for some reason. And I have a good starting point for next time.

Saor: Eheh... Filler chappie!

Kauri: (sigh) got chocolate.

Kurama: Oh no you don't.

Karuri: Drat.

Sao: many thanks to:

Ugly Kitten- yes ma'am! Heh heh... love demented stories. The ones Keahi (my friend) and I rp are soooooo demented it ranges beyond funny.

sillylittlenothing- eheh, arigato! I feel loved that you liked that chappie. I thought it was highly amusing. (Threatening koenma– so fun)

kage- arigato for reviewing!

Princess Kandra- I'm glad you like it! (feels loved)

GoddessOfTheRose- AAAAAHG! (hides behind Karuri/Kurama) HAH! Now you can't get me unless you want to get past the main characters! (Karuri and Kurama step aside) eheh... RUN AWAY!

RoseFire-shadow666- new chappie! I have it! It's... HERE! ... and it's filler. Oh well. I'm lazy and tired. Gomen again.

and Rache- Neko is a she. And I didn't know akai ate cats. And Neko would put up a terrible fuss. Imagine katie.


	8. Initialization

Initialization

* * *

Sao: And here we have it, folks. The eighth chappie! Yay! I'm so proud of myself.

Saor: (sitting at a desk with cheek on hand looking bored) Will you shut up already?

Sao: NEVER! MWAHAHAHAHA!

Saor: (mutters) I hate you.

Sao: I know.

Neko: You guys are interrupting my concentration.

Sao: I know.

Neko: That means no story.

Sao: I know.

Neko/Saor: WILL YOU STOP SAYING THAT ALREADY!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The silver moon hung round and full in the velvet night sky, shedding it's soft illumination onto the dark forest below. A breeze whipped through, swirling leaves magically around the two in the very center of the clearing, all silvered with moonlight. Silver hair mixed with faded-out blond-to-red-to-black, as tails of the same colors twined sinuously around each other, creating a mix of red and silver and black.

"Initialize."

The whisper hung on the wind to be documented by the moon and stars.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Flashback &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Karuri couldn't help being happy he meant it, even though it would be much more appropriate to play hard to get and be annoying like that. She loved playing hard to get... especially when she first turned 150 and everybody started paying attention to her. It didn't get more fun than to be followed by a worshiping male and totally ignore him.

Of course, that was what was special about this situation. It involved equals. Both of them liked (loved?) and respected each other, and it felt right. That was the most important part of intuition. It just felt... right. It was a warm and tingly and comforting feeling, a feeling of safety and fun.

She grabbed what clothes she actually needed (or, okay, wanted...) out of the box and stuffed it into the suitcase that she had emptied and stuffed into a closet when she very first moved in. Grabbing her CD case and radio, she went back into the other room to announce,

"I'm ready, I guess." For some reason she felt suddenly a little shyer. ((A/N is that a word?))

"Would you like me to take that off your hands?" Kurama asked as she fumbled the radio and the suitcase, trying to get it balance."

"Hai, arigato." she acquiesced, handing over the troublesome electronic device. They exited and she went to lock the door, only to realize that she didn't have the key. Kurama locked it for her and handed the missing object back with a small smile on his face. Dratted thieving kitsune.

"You stole it." she accused.

"There was really no other way to get in with you halfway unconscious." he replied seriously, vivid emerald eyes smiling at hers. She sighed at this, as there was really no way to combat the statement; it was perfectly true and both of them knew it.

"How long have you been addicted?" he inquired as they made their way down the creaky steps. She flushed immediately. She hadn't figured he'd know she was addicted to chocolate, damn the substance for its mere existence.

"Ano... pretty much since a year or two past when I turned a hundred." she admitted. Her mother had kept the stuff out of the house like poison, until she died around that time. His eyes glinted amusedly at her, and she glared back playfully as they trekked along the sidewalks.

"Kurama... where are we going, anyway?" she asked a minute later.

"It's not too far away." he assured her. "You live on the right side of Tokyo, anyway."

Karuri gained a nervous sweatdrop. A.K.A. they were going to be walking for a while...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

((A/N just so you all know, I'm figuring it to be a little past noon by now, okies? Right))

They arrived at Genkai's in about an hour, after having received many strange looks for going through the streets loaded with a CD player and a suitcase. Kurama did have to admit it would look a little strange from the other side of the glass.

"Say, what is this place we're going, anyway? Can you be sure we won't be found?" Karuri asked as they exited the city limits.

"It is the shrine of a friend of mine." he answered simply. There really wasn't any other way to answer that question.

"A shrine?" she inquired further. "Doesn't that mean there will be people?"

"Well, yes." he admitted. "But no one who doesn't know about youkai. That any of them are completely aware of kitsune mating rituals, I can't say."

"Oh joy." she muttered.

She had been even more thrilled with the mountain of stairs that loomed in front of her once they actually reached the shrine, though she didn't complain the way Yusuke did whenever forced to climb the steps.

Youko, why are you singing?- he asked the kitsune, who seemed just a tad bit too happy about something.

–: Hmm:– Youko asked, mentally blinking at Kurama.

You are way too happy and I demand to know why. -

–: Really? Why worry over something you can't change:–

Youko. -

–: It's not something that REALLY matters, anyway. :–

What is it! - Kurama demanded.

–: Well, you see, the proceedings demand one being in your youkai form... :–

Hai, soo... - Kurama trailed off as he realized EXACTLY what this meant. -NO! Absolutely NO WAY! -

–: You don't have a choice. :– Youko responded smugly. –: You are turning the majority of control over to me-e... :–

If it weren't so enraging, it would probably have been comical to hear the feared thief of Makai taunting the human and singing in victory so immaturely.

They were met at the top of the stairs by Yukina, who looked up from daily caretaking activities to smile at them.

"Hello, Kurama," she greeted, looking curiously at Karuri. "I don't believe I've met..."

"This is Karuri." he supplied for her.

"Ah. Konnichiwa, and welcome." the koorime bowed, which Karuri attempted to respond to, but was partly foiled by the suitcase she was carrying.

"And Karuri, this is Yukina. She also lives here at Genkai's shrine." he elaborated for her benefit.

"Oh, right. Salut." she stated off-handedly, shuffling the suitcase a bit nervously.

"Do you need something today?" Yukina asked.

"Actually, we're going to be staying for a while. I already made arrangements with Genkai." he told her.

"Oh." she said. "Would you like me to show you to your rooms, then, or do you know where yours is? I'm sure I can set up one next to it for Karuri-san."

"Another room will not be necessary, arigato." he said, flashing her a fanged grin that was all Youko. Her eyes became slightly wider as she fumbled with that for a moment.

"O-oh." she drew a deep breath, before finally allowing what was reminiscent of an entirely evil grin creep across her face. "Of course..."

–: If only the hybrid could hear this... :– Youko found it highly amusing that one who was supposedly so innocent and pure could also be this... 'Understanding' was the word the silver chose, though Kurama wasn't sure that was necessarily the right one.

Karuri drew nearer to him as Yukina lead them through the hallway that was completely new to her.

–: Aww... :– Youko crooned. –: We're scaring her. :–

Whatever tone of voice that was, it wasn't sympathy.

"Ah, Kurama, and your friend, you're here. Little late?" Genkai met them in the halls.

"Good afternoon, Genkai. We had a little delay."

–: (cough)chocolate(cough) :–

Shut up Youko. -

–: But it's so endlessly amusing. :–

Kurama resorted to ignoring his counterpart.

"What type of delay?" she asked. From the look on her face it was plain she was imagining some sort of demon attack. Karuri flushed a slight pink, knowing exactly what delay he was talking about.

"Nothing like that, Genkai." he assured her. "It was much more mundane, I assure you."

"All right." she acceded. "I take it you are going to be staying for a while then?"

"Hai." was the calm response.

"I will be seeing you, then." she said, before going off to do whatever she found to do all day. ((A/N what WOULD she be doing all day? I require constant internet/ school to keep me occupied...))

They put the CD player and suitcase in the room by the bed, and then Kurama and Yukina proceeded to take Karuri on the tour of the temple, including a slight (very slight- within tree-line) foray into the forest on Genkai's land.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

That night they merely sat up on the bed talking; there was nothing else to do and come sunrise, that would have to stop.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Karuri woke up on top of the covers of the bed, Kurama's arm wrapped around her waist and pulling her snug against him. She nearly laughed when she discovered that they were both in the same clothes they had been wearing the day before.

Slipping out of Kurama's grasp wasn't exactly the easiest thing she'd ever done, but she managed to do it without waking him all the way up and was dressed in a burgundy sweatshirt and faded black flare jeans by the time he was all the way awake, and was attempting to get her hair to stay up using just the pair of chopsticks that she had packed in her suitcase.

He smiled warmly at her in the mirror's surface, sending a slight shiver down her spine. Tonight was a full moon; tonight was initialization of the full month of the twisted morals and rules of mixed intimacy and platonics that was the kitsune courting ritual. Most youkai considered kitsune insane. There were fairly good reasons for that.

She gave up on the chopsticks after five minutes had passed and Kurama was watching her with a grin on his face, already dressed for the day in simple off-white slacks and a dark green, almost black sweater. Deciding that by now, it really wasn't worth her time, she tugged it up into a ponytail instead of a clip, crossing the chopsticks in that. Hah. Suck on that, stubborn uncooperative chopsticks. ((A/N; the number of times this has happened to me... minus the Kurama in the room though. It's not even funny, kami. Those chopsticks hate me))

They exited together to find Genkai heading past them out towards the entrance to the shrine. Curious, Karuri followed her, knowing Kurama would tail her, whether he already knew where Genkai was going or not.

The weirdest thing about initialization day? For the sunlight hours, you were not allowed to talk. At all. Actually, you weren't supposed to attempt any kind of communication whatsoever. Other people can talk and you can respond by actually paying attention to them, but no replying. And, you were not allowed out of your future mate's presence. Actually that rule applied throughout most of the courting ritual, but most on initialization day.

Karuri was surprised to see the boys Yusuke and Kuwabara chasing each other up the steps yelling insults and threats to each other. What could they be doing here? Of course, Kurama knew them, but from the look on his face he had very little idea what they were here for either.

"Hey grandma!" Yusuke panted as he stood next to the twitching form of Kuwabara, who he had punched halfway unconscious moments earlier.

"Dimwit, what do you want? And how many times have I told you not to do that?" Genkai responded dryly to Yusuke, motioning to Kuwabara during the last of her statement.

"Well, one, somebody said Kurama might be here."

Karuri realized with an inward laugh that he had still not noticed her and Kurama standing not even ten yards away.

"And two, we have big time trouble brewing in Makai, namely some type of tournament for some royal position or another. I wasn't paying that much attention to the toddler but for some reason he wants us to go."

"So, in other words, you came here to get more training." Genkai clarified.

"You bet." Yusuke said, straightening and looking around nonchalantly. He passed over Kurama and Karuri once, then immediately jerked his gaze back to them.

"Ano... Kurama? And... Karuri or whatever it was? What's she doing here?" he demanded. Karuri gazed demurely back at him, feeling Kurama stare gently from over her shoulder.

Yusuke edged away from them just slightly before turning his question on Genkai.

"Oi, grandma, what is with them? They aren't under some kind of hypnosis are they?"

"No, dimwit, they're not talking today." she snapped back. That was all they had told her before hand, since obviously they didn't want everybody wondering why in hell they were suddenly getting no response from either of the kitsune.

"Not talking? What the hell is up with that?"

"Try asking them. Of course, I doubt you'll get any answer." Genkai said amusedly.

Kuwabara managed to get back up, immediately yelling,

"Urameshi! I'll get you for that!"

"Yeah right, baka." Yusuke shot back, attention immediately diverted.

"Hey, what's Kurama and that girl from before doing here?" Kuwabara noticed the two kitsune just before the new verbal fight could escalate into (yet another) all-out war.

"No idea." Yusuke said. "And no way to find out either."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Anyhow, toddler dragged us out way too early. Got any breakfast, grandma?" Yusuke suggested.

"I might, if you stop calling me grandma. I believe Yukina was fixing it before I came out here to figure out what you two were up to."

"Yukina?" Kuwabara asked, a dreamlike cast coming over his face. Karuri nearly cracked up right then and there, but managed to keep it down to muffled laughter.

&&&& Later; let's say... mid afternoon. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Yusuke had come in from the beginning of his training with Genkai and was collapsed on a couch in what might pass for a living room, if it weren't in the corner of Genkai's spiritual measuring arcade room, when Kurama and Karuri bounced in, both with almost identical evil smirks pasted on their faces.

"What did you guys do?" he asked.

They both looked at him and didn't reply; Kurama raised one eyebrow at him.

"Damn it, why won't you answer me? This is getting really annoying!"

No answer. They sat down on the couch at a right angle to the one he was sitting on.

"Not to mention freaky!"

Karuri draped herself over the arm of the sofa on the side nearest his sofa and just looked at him, still with a hint of an evil smirk on her face. Kurama sat next to her and fiddled with a loose thread on his sleeve.

Yusuke gave up.

"Kami! And we thought Hiei was all into the 'never answer anybody' thing!"

Kurama looked up and blinked innocently at him, as Karuri yawned and twisted over on the sofa arm so that her back was bent over it.

Kami damn kitsune.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

–: Almost sunset. :– Youko announced as they were eating dinner.

You don't say. - Kurama responded dryly.

–: Well, we want to be ready, don't we:–

I thought you said it hinged around moonrise? -

–: It does:–

Then stop being paranoid. -

–: I'm not paranoid. :– Youko pouted.

Right... whatever. The kitsune was currently as paranoid as Kurama considered it possible to get.

The table was cleared, and with a nod of farewell, he and Karuri exited for their room.

Without a word they made whatever preparations deemed necessary. Karuri released her hair, letting the long dusky brown strands play across her back, and exchanged the sweatshirt for a halter top. He changed into a simple training outfit; nothing extremely intricate was needed for today.

They left by the window in the room, streaking one after the other into the forest where they couldn't be seen.

–: Moonrise. :– Youko intoned, more serious now than excited as before.

"Moonrise." Karuri said, restrictions on speaking gone now that the sun was.

"You first." he murmured.

"Right..." she said. "Do you realize that I've had this illusion up for the past three years?"

"Must have been fun." he said, teasing.

"Oh, yes, lots." she mock agreed, rolling her eyes.

With a hint of concentration she swept one arm up into the air, followed by the other as if calling upon something from the sky. She closed her eyes gently, and a breath of wind whirled through the clearing along with a tumble of leaves. Snowflakes danced down to cover her and smoke rose to cover the place where she had been.

It dispelled in a swirl of blond-red-black tails wrapping themselves around her body, being as the only thing she now wore was the pointed-oval copper pendant. Fox ears tipped with black and fading only to the dark red twitched slightly on her head as the wind swirled her hair around, which was now longer by nearly a foot and with the same fade-out of colors as her tails. He stopped to count. There were seven.

She herself was taller, her features slightly smoother, but sharper. She maintained the small waist that was present in her illusion, but her hips and breasts were noticeably fuller, even hidden under the tails. When she opened her eyes, he saw that they were currently a clear shade of violet. Graceful claws adorned her fingers, and her shy smile revealed milk-white fangs. She was beautiful.

"Now it's your turn." she whispered.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

((A/N guess what? I can't remember the pretty transformation scene for Youko. All I know is that there was lots of clouds and some lightning. So, yeah... That's all there is to it, isn't there? (Sweatdrops) going on now...))

Mist filled the small clearing they were in, engulfing Kurama's form entirely. Lightning played sporadically across it, causing a feeling of suspense and danger. Karuri shivered slightly, but it was not from cold. A final spark of lightning and a low hush finally signaled that the transformation was complete. Youko Kurama stepped from the mist, all seven of his silver tails wrapped around him as hers were, molten gold eyes staring at her intently. It was one thing to see him in a history book.

It was another completely to have that golden gaze turned upon you.

"Well, kitto. It seems we truly meet for the first time." he purred. His was the voice of seduction and danger, pure and simple. His perfect form in front of her taunted, ensnared. She could match it.

"Do we?" she asked, stepping carefully around in a semicircle. They followed each other halfway around before he took the first step forward.

"Yes." he whispered.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& end flashback &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Initialize."

Their voices twined as their fingers interlaced, claws simultaneously digging into the back of each hand they held. Auras flared higher, drowning out those of any lower level youkai hanging around and alerting anyone remotely sensitive in the area. The gentle wind reached a new pitch briefly, wildly fluttering their hair.

And then all was calm as before.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sao: okay, guess what? I feel like a very very good person for making this so long even though it meant writing it at two am. The only problem? My internet crashed on me, so I'll be uploading tomorrow. (Winces) GOMEN!

Saor: (yawns) Neko, why do you insist on working best when it's past midnight?

Neko: I am a cat. Cats are nocturnal.

Sao: partially. Where are Karuri and Kurama?

Saor: sleeping.

Sao: right. Lucky them... Anyhow, MUCH THANKIES TO:

Ugly Kitten: I just had way too much fun on that chapter. I'm glad you liked it. I wish I was part kitsune... (sniffs)

sillylittlenothing: where the chocolate came from is merely the depths of my insanity... and it's really fun to write characters when they're hyper and delusional. They do cute things.

blankgravity: I'm glad you like it! I've never actually collaborated before... and if I did I daresay my co-collaborator would not be very happy with me because all my chapters get written mostly the night before I'm supposed to post them. (Sighs) I'm such a procrastinator...

Princess Kandra: Yay! (feels loved) I try to write more... This was a long chapter tho... (o.O lol don't worry I know what you meant– I think...)

RoseFire-shadow666: I'm glad you like it! Update is right here! I'm sorry it's a little late. My internet crashed the night I was supposed to post it.

NekoGuyFan: lol, I know chocolate is an overused idea... but I guess it doesn't make it any worse! (And anyhow, this is worse than a little hyper– it's kinda more like hallucinations) I love chocolate too! .

KawaiiYuki: thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like it! . oooh! I get chocolate? Arigato! (feels loved) just so long as you don't give karuri any. (Shifty eyes)

halfbreedmutt: right here! .

SmileAtTheDevil: arigato! I'm glad you like it! Heh heh, you're schedule isn't much more messed up than mine. I finished writing this chapter at two thirty in the morning... O.o

Youko's Daughter Sakaki: hi! I'm very happy everyone likes this! Ooooo! chocolate! Karuri: chocolate? Sao: BACK, KITSUNE, BACK! Agh! and sadly, no, i haven't seen the neon birdies. i just take Karuri's word for it that they exist. Karuri: OI!

Rachel: akai needs help... and she can't have neko. Neko will use her amazing muse powers (which basically overpower anything thrown at them . drat it...) and dress akai in hot pink. And katie doesn't know about this account. Or, at least, she shouldn't.

Sao: O.O so many reviews...

Saor: aren't we loved?


	9. Good Morning!

Good Morning!

((A/N: i'm sorry for it being late yet again. the internet crashed, again. i hate my internet X.X))

Sao: Hello again all!

Saor: Yes, konnichiwa!

Neko: Stop being so cheerful...

Sao: Naze?

Saor: Yes, naze?

Neko: AND STOP REPEATING EACH OTHER DAMN IT!

Sao: Why would we want to do that?

Saor: Yes, why would we want to do that?

Neko: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUHHHHHGG!

Sao/Saor: hehehehe.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The wind died down around them as Karuri slumped from her straightened position to lay her head against Youko's bare chest, her tails never leaving their position around her body, though they waved a bit with her movement. He dipped his head to bury his nose in her straight silky hair, wrapping his arms around her lithe form.

"What happens if somebody finds us?" she murmured against him.

"They don't, kitto." he responded.

"But how can you be SURE?" she asked, looking up at him with a teasing pout on her face.

"Trust me, I'm sure." he replied in a breathy whisper, his hot breath washing over her as he leaned down to her face till they were nearly touching.

"Really really sure?" she asked, her movement tickling his lips gently.

"Really sure." Youko smirked gently before closing the mere millimeters between them and capturing her soft lips in a gentle kiss. Her mouth opened in surprise, her tongue brushing against his briefly before they broke off, both slightly weakened from the previous release of youki in the initialize process. She smiled at him, flashing a fang in a slightly evil grin.

"Really really REALLY sure?"

"You're doing that to me on purpose, kitto." Youko stated reproachfully.

"Of course!" she said cheerfully, separating herself from him and darting behind a tree. "Catch me if you can."

"Oh, I can." he murmured, knowing she would hear, before taking off after her, a bright shadow and a white one, threading through the moonlit trees.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The shrine was woken up to the sounds of Kuwabara being pummeled into the ground by Yusuke. Of course, the reason for this was known only to them.

"What the hell was that for, Urameshi!" came Kuwabara's outraged roar.

Or, maybe it was only known to Yusuke alone...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Did you hear something?" Karuri mumbled, sitting up from her (previously asleep) position against Youko's chest on the bed in his room. She was in a burgundy hoodie sweatshirt that came to a little above mid thigh, and he had on a pair of white fighting pants. Tails swished confusedly as Youko twitched an ear toward the banging and yelling from the other part of the shrine.

"Two baka-ne beating each other up." he stated mischievously, shrugging. She blinked.

"Ah..." Baka, baka– that must be referring to Yusuke and Kuwabara, she guessed. So they were still here?

"Shall we go see what the outcome is?" he suggested, rising from the bed fluidly.

"D'accord!" Karuri chirped, bouncing from the bed to follow him closely.

They emerged into a scene of pure chaos. Well, not really. A few decorations were upturned, a couple pieces of china and glass were scattered, but that was about it. The sounds of the ruckus continued from outside. Presumably Genkai had kicked them out.

Yusuke had just sent Kuwabara to the ground in a puff of dust when they emerged from the door. Genkai and Yukina were standing on the porch, Genkai looking bored and Yukina slightly worried.

"Always happen?" Karuri questioned, watching as Kuwabara rose out of the dust to swing a fist at Yusuke.

"Pretty much." Genkai answered, turning to face them. A fanged smirk slid across Karuri's face as the woman took in the two seven tailed kitsune standing on her porch. Yusuke and Kuwabara chose that moment to turn away from their fight, both panting. Yusuke's eyes grew about as big as saucers as Kuwabara's mouth dropped open.

"Dude! It's that creepy guy from the tournament!" Kuwabara was the first to exclaim.

"Who let you out?" Genkai challenged.

"And who the hell is THAT?" Yusuke recovered himself enough to yell.

"Aww, Yusuke, I'm hurt you don't remember me." Karuri put on the overdone pout face, drawing up against Youko's side.

"NANI?"

"Oh, they really don't. I guess all that housecleaning didn't do a single thing for their memories." she sighed. She couldn't see it, too busy giving Yusuke and Kuwabara the reproving look, but she knew that Youko was probably flashing a fanged smirk at the dawning comprehension on their faces.

"KARURI? You're a fucking kitsune? SINCE WHEN!" Yusuke roared.

She quirked her head to the side innocently, wide-eyed.

"Well, I'd say since about... One hundred and seventy-three years ago, when I was born." she informed him sagely.

Genkai tapped her foot impatiently, reminding them of her question. Youko looked down at her arrogantly.

"Surely you realized that a kitsune courting ritual requires two KITSUNE, rather than a ningen with a kitsune spirit and a kitsune disguised as a ningen."

Her brow furrowed, processing this, before she nodded once, accepting.

"So long as you don't cause any trouble," she warned.

"Are you okay, Yusuke?" Karuri asked, noticing him opening and closing his mouth as if to ask (probably yell) something, but was unable to say it.

"You do realize you're only half dressed, right?" he managed to choke out.

"Hmm?" she replied, quirking her head the other way at him. "But surely you know that for kitsune, this is mostly dressed, not 'half dressed'?" she inquired in the tone of utmost innocence.

"Stop flapping your mouth like a fish, dimwit. We have training to do." Genkai commanded crossly, crossing the distance between her and Yusuke in a flash to whack him over the head.

"Ow, grandma, all right all right already!" he growled, forgetting whatever issues he had with kitsune.

"That went well." Youko rumbled in amusement as everyone filtered away, leaving them by themselves on the porch.

"Hai, quite amusing." Karuri smiled, tilting her head back to look up at him.

"I wonder what they'd say if they caught us doing this?" he purred, running his hands behind her head to bring her face forward to his own and crashing their lips together. She held back teasingly, reaching up to brush delicate fingers across his sensitive ears, purposely ignoring his tongue begging true entrance for the first time, until his hands slid down from her hair to brush against the base of her tails, sending a jolt like electricity sparking through her. She opened her mouth slightly in surprise.

It was all he needed, as her tails twined about his waist and pulled him closer to her body. Slowly he explored her mouth, ignoring her small sounds of protest she made despite his taste in her mouth.

When finally he retreated and looked down at her fondly, she mock glared up at him, panting as she tried to ignore the pulsing sensations from her body.

"You," she asserted, "are a terrible person."

"But of course, kitto." he replied laughingly, one eyebrow raised teasingly at her.

"I'll get you back."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sao: Very short, I know. Evil me.

Saor: What she means to say, is, "GOMEN NASAI! ALL PLEASE FORGIVE THIS UNWORTHY ONE!"

Sao: I do not. They got the first real kiss. And since I feel like setting it out, Neko and I are going to explain our idea of the courting process.

Neko: It's quite simple really.

Sao: There are several rules. It lasts for a month. You must be in your true form.

Neko: You are not allowed to see each other naked. Even if you're only wearing your tails. A.K.A you can be naked, but you're not allowed to see.

Sao: Besides this and other random rules–

Saor: Yeah, the not speaking the day before initialization? That just got thrown in there because we had a day of silence thing that day and didn't talk. So we wished to inflict the same on Karuri and Kurama.

Sao: Yes, and Yusuke's reaction was highly amusing as well– OI! Saor, I said Neko and me were explaining, not you!

Neko: Basically the aim of the entire courting process, frankly, is to tease and get each other as aroused as possible and yet refrain from having sex throughout the entire month.

Saor: (winces) that's putting it... bluntly...

Sao: Exactly, Neko. Because as we all know, kitsune are very passionate creatures, and also have very good instincts. So if you think you've got a life mate, this tests whether you feel strongly enough to control yourself in order to have them in the end.

Neko: More on this and related subjects next time.

Saor: OKAY! Now we know that this was a short chappie–

Sao: they got the first good kiss.

Saor: IT WAS STILL SHORT DAMNIT! (huff huff) but anyhow, this is just a sucky transition chappie. We're up at two on Wednesday again here, people. But there is a three day weekend coming up, so hopefully, we can get what we want to get done in the next chapter, actually done.

Sao: Saor, you're boring.

Neko: Hai. Now, THANKIES TO:

Ugly Kitten: I'm glad you like the trans. scene! I kinda didn't myself, but o well... Yeah, she has red to black tipped ears because her color progression is white blond to strawberry to auburn to dark read to black. And ears are not big enough for all this. Therefore, she has red to black tipped ears so it stands out against the white blond on top of her head. Totally shallow, aesthetic decision made by me. Heh.

sillylittlenothing: No more initialization. That was it. Very simple, it's just an exchange/release of youki to formally begin the courting ritual. The tournament comes in more in the waaaaaay future... Other than that I can't tell you much.

Princess Kandra: I'm honored that you think my writing is good. It makes me feel loved. Yay!

Youko's Daughter Sakaki: O! You know what's even weirder than chocolate chapstick? Dr. Pepper chapstick. I have some. It's kind of ickful. I like chocolate much better! Augh! Rabid cyber chimps! (Steals rachel's ocelots) HAH! I combat you with my friends ocelots and mongooses! Oi... kami damn it! where'd the mongooses go?

flamekurama'sbloodrose: chapter right here.

XxXHellzFireAngelXxX: I'm glad you love it! yay! Sadly I do not have fan art. I cannot draw other artists people that are already drawn, because it never matches and it makes me feel sad (sniffs) All I do is my original art, of my charries. I do a lot of that... Actually, I do too much of that... I ran out of ink in both my inking pens and have gone through two entire sketchbooks of paper since Christmas.

Rachel: good. I don't actually want katie to find this account. It's too much for her innocent mind. I'm glad you all appreciate my staying up until two. My internet is being screwy again... (sighs) And Karuri has spoken french from the BEGINNING. Check chapter one. She spent half her sophomore year in france. Wish I could pick up the language as quickly as she can...


	10. Courtship

Courtship

Sao: Ummm... what to say? we started early, but...

Saor: That doesn't mean we won't finish late.

Sao: Pessimist.

Neko: Stop arguing so that we can actually write for a change.

Sao: NEVER!

Saor: (sweatdrops)

Neko: Never? (One eyebrow raised) (in human form)

Sao: ano... yeah? Never?

Saor: Surrre...

Karuri: Are you guys actually planning to write anything?

Sao: ...Maybe...

Saor: (sighs)

((a/n: that was all written BEFORE the a/n at the end... just btw))

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Are we planning on doing anything today?" Karuri asked. "Aside from watch Yusuke and Kuwabara get tortured?"

"Nothing in particular." Youko answered lazily. They were seated on a soft patch of grass in the corner of the dojo, Youko on his side, propped up on one arm, and Karuri in front of him, now currently sitting up and leaning against him. She was clothed in a dark red tank top that fit her figure snugly and gray short-shorts with "Cali 02" printed in pink on the front of the left leg. He wore white cargo pants, slightly grass stained at the knee, as ningen-made cloth was prone to staining. Two of his tails were languorously wrapped around her body, as several of hers reached back to wrap around him.

Yusuke pronounced them hopeless five minutes into the day.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Youko loved the way everything was brought into sharper detail as it was his body in control, ignoring the mild complaints from his human host and focusing more on the warm body pressed against his. It felt right to just sit there. It was calm and peaceful and loving. It could never last.

Karuri stood up and reached down to pull him up with a dazzling evil smile. That was the type of smile that could lead to ultimate destruction. It should not be legal. Of course, many things that were not legal in other circles were perfectly legitimate in kitsune society. It was stated somewhere, who knows by whom or when, "kitsune are a world apart and of their own." ((A/N: in case you're wondering, I made that up.))

A flash of time later, they were in the forest near their initialization clearing. The youki swirling in the plants around there was still radiant, probably marking that clearing for several years to come as theirs.

"Do you think Genkai quite knew what she was agreeing to when she let us stay here?" the tickle of Karuri's breath caressed his cheek as she reached up to cradle her head into the crook of his neck.

"I believe it may have not been mentioned that she would be hosting a mating ritual." he purred slowly.

"What dreadful unmentioning she was fed." she whispered, flicking one ear against his chin.

"Indeed." he murmured back, a slow smile creeping across his face.

One hand snaked up along his body, starting at his hip; the other remained around his neck. He mirrored her lazily, trailing across the breast when he got there and delighting in her shiver, they having separated enough to gaze at each other. Her scent intensified, gaining a slight tinge of hot cinnamon. This didn't help his control, as a low heat flushed through his body. Carefully he pulled her closer, to nip carefully at her lower lip, trailing downward across her neck, feeling the heat radiating from her skin along with a continuing increase in the spicy cinnamon scent as he neared the swell of her breasts, arms tightly around her waist.

And then her hands brushed along the base of his tails, against the grain of the fur to bring her closer to his body, and immediately burning heat flashed through his body. She repeated the action slowly, deliberately sliding against the fur, gazing up at him innocently. Or at least as innocent as any evil youkai seductress could look, as he fought for control of his body.

"Told you I'd get you back." she rasped in his ear, fingers departing his tails to once again wrap her arms around his neck.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sao: ya know what? I'm a sucky author and Neko has deserted me again. So, I figured that there might be a few people who would prefer this little scrap to absolutely nothing, so I'm sending it out. Even though it sucks.

Saor: Sao's being a little bit manic depressive. Plus we think Neko might have shifted to our actual, ORIGINAL stories that might be published in real life someday, so this is a good thing.

Sao: yeah, and it might just be that it's two in the morning.

Saor: Sao is not a morning person.

(Readers): we noticed.

Sao: so, yes, this entire thing sucks and with author's notes is less than four pages (bad me) gomen. Kami I'm a horrible person, but right now I feel vaguely sick and I won't repeat what I just said a couple seconds ago.

Saor: So anyhow, in the meantime, enjoy the meaningless smut interaction between our two favorite kitsune! And don't worry about Sao; she's much too happy a person to stay like this for long. It's probably the two a.m. thing.

Neko: thank you so much to all who review! We're sorry there are no responses this chapter. (Yawns)

Saor: OH! I just remembered. We have gotten a site up that contains all of our good art of karuri and such.I will be posting the site onthe bio, so go see it!If you do, please tell us what you thought! (Unless of course you thought it sucked... in which case we would really rather you refrain...)


	11. Explanations

Explanations

Sao: Okay! I know the last chapter sucked, but that's okay! I've gotten over that now!

Neko: Thank Kami.

Sao: Shut up, baka muse.

Neko: (threatens) I will run away again.

Sao: (gulps) ano... hehe... I'll be good. Anyhow, there's something I'd like to get cleared up a little: I know they seem to be moving awfully fast–

Saor: REALLY fast... Lessee, they've known each other for what, a week before this?

Sao: Shut up Saor. But we do have a PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE reason; they are kitsune! Heh, I'm such a cheater.

Saor: The real reason is that Sao finds it incredibly boring to write all that getting-to-know-you junk.

Sao: That too. But that's not LEGITIMATE, so HA! But really. Kitsune are known for being incredibly passionate, instinctive beings. So it makes perfect sense that they would meet, figure out that one another are powerful remnants of dying subspecies, and immediately get to this. It's in their natures.

Saor: I bet Kurama's just dying now that Youko's been let out, now, though.

Sao: (wicked grin) No, judging by his quietness, I'd guess he's perfectly okay with it.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

(About a week later)

Karuri woke one morning to the cool draft playing across her back where Youko usually was. The immediate thought that came to her mind was, where would he be? If he was talking to Yusuke and Kuwabara about that 'tournament' thing the ningen boys had mentioned when they came, then he was probably freaking them out slightly. They had been avoiding his direct, undistracted presence the entire time he'd been out.

She rolled out from underneath the covers, found her favorite over-large sweatshirt, and pulled it on over nothing but her black cotton underwear, shrouding her top half in mystery but leaving her long legs to the examination of the world. It has been mentioned already that this fact tended to not disturb her. The more people looked, the better. A satisfied smirk played its way across her face. They couldn't have her. She was taken.

So directed once more onto where in hell the silver kitsune could have gone, she trailed out of the door to wander around until she found him, vainly attempting at first to catch some trail of his scent, but all of the inhabitant's scents were overlaid everywhere, including his, and so thickly mixed that she had no chance of finding him that way.

So it came down to the ningen game of hide and seek. Only the seeker knew what she was looking for and the hidden didn't know he was being sought.

It didn't take long. She searched the upper level, and came downstairs, and walked down a hall, and caught voices from behind a door. A slow smile spread over her face. That was easy.

"So we basically gotta win this thing, appoint someone decent so Makai doesn't go into some sort of 'destroy Ningenkai' phases, and then everything's whoop-de-do." she heard Yusuke's voice.

"Yeah, but we could also just bring her in and then we've got instant–" Kuwabara was cut off.

"You will not be taking my mate into that particular area of that hellhole without my consent, her consent, and a hell of a lot better reason." Youko growled.

Nani? Were they talking about... her? Why were they talking about her? Unless it had something to do with– but no, that was what the Reikai Tentai did, was quell things in Makai, so why were they... oh. Oh.

Angry tears filled her eyes briefly at the unfairness of it all. How could THEY be the Rekai Tentai? How could Kurama? Her mate? How could he not tell her about this? Was he even planning to tell her about this?

The door flew open and Youko was immediately staring into her face as if that could divine the reason for her tears.

"Man that guy is freaky." Kuwabara could be heard muttering.

"Kitto?" he inquired softly.

"When were you planning on telling me?" she challenged, wiping the tears away angrily.

"As soon as you managed to find out, kitto." he replied. Damn him for being so sure of himself. "Because of course I had complete faith that you would figure it out sooner rather than later."

Damn him for his logic being all too sound.

"Besides that, do you really believe you have to worry about the Reikai Tentai coming after one of their own?"

"It could all be a trick. To get me."

"Pfft. Kitto, you are saving no face. You don't initialize all for a trick. You continue on this, it's going to become about as ridiculous as to ask Yusuke to hand Keiko over to a bloodthirsty lord of Makai."

"Oi! You ain't never gonna catch Keiko anywhere NEAR Makai!" Yusuke yelled.

"Point proven."

"I hate you people who have to be right all the time." Karuri said, glaring up at him hotly.

"Then I suppose I will have to deal with your rejection." he chuckled.

"You. Are. Evil."

"Indeed? I seem to remember being told this before. Hmm, where was that now, could it have been... last night? Oh, and that afternoon. And the morning before that."

She had to bite back a smile at his hilariously overdone expressions. Whoever described the feared kitsune thief of Makai as cold and expressionless obviously hadn't truly known him at all. Or it could have merely been the human influence over the years. Except for those deception skills were purely kitsune.

"Evil." she repeated, just to drive the point home, even as she matched his fanged grin.

"Those two are waaaaaaay creepy." Kuwabara grumbled.

"I am forgiven? Because if not, I can always relate Koenma's reaction when I threatened him with dismemberment if you were ever endangered by any of his other Reikai Tentai ever again."

Yusuke perked up at this.

"Hey, that I wouldn't mind either!" he exclaimed.

"Gomen, kitto's ears only." Youko smirked, tugging gently on one of the dark furry attachments. A soft thrill ran through her body, along with a sudden hint of cinnamon. She scowled playfully up at him.

"Doing that might evoke returning the favor." she threatened.

His only response was to raise an eyebrow and glance over to where Yusuke and Kuwabara were standing behind him.

"Oi, what are you looking at us that way for?" Yusuke protested.

"What were you talking about anyhow?" Karuri asked, drawing the subject away from subjects like that.

"You, incidentally, kitto. Did you know that you caused quite a stir three or four years ago when you left?" Youko inquired.

"What, is that what Reikai thinks is the reason it's all bent out of shape out there? Hmph, typical."

"How come?" Yusuke asked.

"Can we not discuss this in the middle of the hall perhaps?" Karuri suggested. They withdrew into the room the other three had been in previously.

"All right, so how's Reikai wrong about the whole mess over in Makai?" Yusuke immediately resumed his question.

"First, it had very little to do with MY disappearance, and two, it started about a year BEFORE I left. I left in order to avoid being killed and throwing it into an even worse state of disrepair."

"If it didn't start then, when did it?" Yusuke asked as the two ningen sat in chairs they had previously occupied. Youko pulled Karuri into his lap on a rounded, cushioned chair.

"It started when my father was assassinated about six months before I left. Someone's been trying to clear out the elemental kitsune for a while, though I have to admit they didn't have to try very hard. I'm the only one of Okaa-sama's kits to have survived, and Okaa-sama herself ended up dying through her own powers as well."

"I'm confused." Kuwabara confessed.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you about elemental kitsune? Okay, scratch that, I guess they really wouldn't have any reason to. Basically, when you have the powers of every single element inside of you, they clash. Fire and ice slash water don't get along, fire and plant don't get along, well duh dark and light don't get along, it's a regular war."

Yusuke and Kuwabara were now gaping openly at her, perhaps for describing the violent, painful contortions of the powers within her in such an offhand way, perhaps merely because they didn't believer her. Oh, well, if they didn't, they'd find out sooner or later.

"To get to the point, basically the 'war of the elements' type thing isn't something even a youkai body can stand up to very well. So if you don't keep it from starting, you're screwed." She beamed happily at them, pleased to have officially confused two dummies.

"So, ano, what does this have to do with the tournament thing in Makai?"

"There's a TOURNAMENT?"

"Ano, yeah, haven't we said that before? Isn't that why we're HERE!" Yusuke shouted.

"Oh... heh heh, right."

"Is a tournament bad?" Kuwabara inquired.

"Like hell it's bad! It's the most baki awesome thing that ever could have happened! Now how the hell did it manage to happen?"

"What do you mean by that? According to Koenma it's gonna be absolute chaos?"

"Yeah, Koenma's too used to regulating Ningenkai." Karuri dismissed Koenma's opinion with a nonchalant brushing-away motion with her free arm, the other being happily draped around Youko's shoulders as both of his arms went around her waist. Yusuke and Kuwabara were trying to somehow look at Karuri as she explained and yet at the same time not look at _them_, plural.

"So... it's not gonna be absolute chaos?"

"Oh, for regulating Ningenkai it's gonna be worse than absolute chaos. For Makai and that kind of high up position, I mean, come on, we only answer to the lord what's his name, whoever rules that section of Makai, it's waaaaay more organized than I ever thought it would manage to be in a million years. I was absolutely certain it was gonna be civil war."

"Civil war... among youkai?"

"Yeah, last one left alive after every single clan tears each other to pieces, weak and strong alike, get's the position."

"Sounds suspiciously like a tournament." Yusuke grumbled.

"Iie, in a tournament only however many people are on the team _representing_ the clan will tear itself to pieces weak and strong alike."

"Remind me to stick to untalkative youkai like Hiei only; I don't think I can take the talkative ones." Yusuke griped.

"Yeah, yeah, get over yourself. Have I been told already who Hiei is?"

"I believe you were introduced to him at your ningen apartment." Youko drawled lazily. She stiffened slightly for a moment and he nuzzled her neck questioningly. Karuri relaxed again; it was her fault anyway for being such a ditz, not his for being there and reacting to what could be seen as an attack.

"Oh, right." she sighed, before going on. "So, if I get the idea, Koenma wants you to go in and win it? I sure hope they have the 'appoint the leader of your choice' option going, because if they don't then you have a lifetime ruling a section of Makai ahead of you."

"NANI!"

"Oh, Koenma didn't put forth this possibility?" she asked, amusement glinting in her eyes.

"NO!" Kuwabara was staring at her dumbstruck and Yusuke was close to hyperventilating.

"Oh, don't worry, it's not an option to disclude that option." she reassured them. Yusuke immediately turned on her.

"Kami damn it! Baki kitsune! I thought I'd be stuck in a pit in Makai or something for a minute there!" he raged.

"That confident, eh?"

He took a threatening step towards her, when Genkai's voice cut into their conversation.

"DIMWITS!"

Yusuke stopped in his tracks.

"Oh crap."

He and Kuwabara hurried off, leaving Karuri and Youko to themselves.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

(Two days later)

It seemed like the only thing to do to amuse oneself around here if not feeling like erotically teasing one's mate-to-be was to hang around with one another and watch Yusuke or Kuwabara get tortured by Genkai.

So, of course, that was exactly what they were doing. Youko was sitting cross-legged in the little patch of grass in the corner of the dojo, Karuri dozing peacefully in his lap.

All of a sudden there was a loud crash from outside, followed by another. It sounded suspiciously like something big being knocked aside, probably a tree.

"What the hell was that!" Yusuke exclaimed, whirling around from his "target practice"– which was basically Genkai throwing blocks of various substances at varying speeds to varied heights, and requiring Yusuke to completely destroy each one with his reigun. It was an exercise in both control and power building, as it required a lot of aura to continually fire blast after blast. Especially when it had been going on for the last hour.

"Sounds like something big." Karuri remarked, sitting up and flicking an ear towards the sound.

"Definitely youkai." Youko said, standing and pulling Karuri swiftly up beside him. "Shall we go investigate?"

"What's goin' on out there?" Kuwabara huffed, coming running in from another room, spirit sword in hand. He didn't look much less spent than Yusuke.

"Hey, that's what I'm supposed to do!" Yusuke protested.

"Aw, come on Yusuke, let us have our fun or I'll be forced to call you Yus-chan for the rest of the month." Karuri bargained. (Unfairly, I might add)

"That's no fair!" Yusuke yelled. "You're not allowed to call me Yus-chan!"

"I am if you don't stay here!" she sing-songed, then followed a curious Youko outside the dojo.

"Damn!" Yusuke cursed his luck. Genkai raised one eyebrow and hefted a brick of something that looked vaguely like ten-year-old jell-O. "Damn." Yusuke muttered again.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"That thing is vaguely repulsive." Karuri remarked from beside him. Youko looked down at her fondly for a moment before drawing out a rose from his hair and transforming it into his rose whip.

"That is why we are getting rid of it." he commented. The 'thing' ((we will call it oni-iki for now, for lack of anything else to call it and for not having any wish to call it thing. Oh, this is utterly useless as 'thing' is the only thing that fits it. 'Thing' it is then, folks. Readers: SHUT UP and GET ON WITH IT already! Sao: Right. O.o))

The thing was definitely a youkai of some sort; the thing was, it was probably some twisted, overly powerful youkai's beast of burden. ((let's think Sesshomaru's big whonking oni thing from inuyasha)) It was big, it was vaguely grayish-brownish colored, it had five eyes, three horns, and overly long arms. It was probably about fifteen feet tall. How the hell it got through the barrier right around here will probably forever remain a mystery.

It noticed Youko and Karuri about a second after Youko drew his rose whip, abandoning the trees to dart towards them faster than its size implied it should be able to and raising one over-large arm with three-clawed hand high to strike. Youko's whip snapped around it's torso, which was left so conveniently open by this feeble minded attack.

The thing howled in rage and jerked itself away from the sharp thorns of the whip, gaining itself a very large gash along its ribcage.

"Not very smart, is it?" Youko remarked, standing idly with the whip ready in his hand. The enraged thing charged him, only to find its target on the other side of it, whip curling around its bicep this time, biting through muscle and nearly jerking the limb clean off. It bellowed, this time in pain.

It shunted away from Youko and the whip, eyes mad with pain and desperation, and turned on Karuri, who's eyes whipped instantly from an interested light blue to a bright neon yellow, widening in surprise. Her tails whipped madly in agitation and distress, as she jumped away from its enraged swipe at her.

Youko's vision was immediately tinged with red that the thing would _dare_ to attack_ his _ mate. Immediately his whip was around the thing's neck, nearly jerking it's head off. Blood the color of brackish water burbled from its mouth as it died.

"Are you all right?" Youko inquired, stepping around the oni's corpse and transforming the whip back into a rose. Her eyes were fading slowly from neon yellow to a calmer greenish yellow, like leaves in autumn rather than a fluorescent neon ningen light.

"Hai, I'm okay. That... thing... just startled me, is all."

He blinked at her before smiling gently. "Good. It might have had to die more painfully if it had hurt you."

Karuri stretched her neck to the side to look up at him and quirk her head at the same time, giving him the opportunity to place a series of smoldering kisses along it, which he did, enjoying the sudden rush of cinnamon in her scent.

"Tell me, kitto." he murmured against her neck, holding her close as she nuzzled into his chest. "Did anybody ever see fit to teach you how to _use_ these wondrous powers of yours?"

"Mmmm... nopes." she purred against him. He pulled her away by the shoulders just slightly to look her in the eye.

"You mean you really have all this power and you can't even use it." He said incredulously. It had to be the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard of, take the most potentially powerful type of youkai and not teach her. Youko had felt her powers on the night when she'd come unhinged; it had to have awakened every sensitive for miles around, and made many more all over Japan uneasy. It was a tsunami of elemental youki and it was not being used. Blasphemy.

Karuri looked up at him with innocent blue-green eyes. "Most of my studies focused on getting them to make peace and not kill me rather than how to actually use them. I could probably use them in the raw form, you know, deep-freeze everything around, torch everything, fry everything, drown everything, that kind of thing. But not the way they're supposed to be used, no."

Youko sighed patiently. "Then we'll just have to teach you, won't we?"

"Uh-oh." he heard her mutter under her breath.

Oh yes. This was going to be fun.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sao: Okay, I kinda coulda kept going but this just seemed like the (perfect) way to end it! I mean, it's all... perfect! With plenty of creative ideas for another chapter!

Saor: So we don't get a repeat of the horrific shortness of chapter ten, hopefully.

Sao: Yeah, and hope you enjoy this one. It's a full nine-plus pages long! Go us!

Saor: What she means to say is that she hopes this makes up for it being a day late and for the horrific chapter ten incident.

Neko: Gomen about the lack of fluff. This was an actual (gasp) PLOT CHAPTER? Is it possible?

Sao: Cut the dramatics, Neko. Anyhow, we would like to thank a bunch of people for reviewing!

THANKIES TO:

Ugly Kitten: Yes, it was short, wasn't it? (cowers) but that is why it will now be referred to as, 'the horrific chapter ten incident,' and we will try very hard not to repeat it. Well, the length of the chappie anyhow. Me and my hentai mind was quite okay with the content... (whacks self multiple times for being a hentai) and no, I just changed the rating around chapter nine, so you're not completely clueless. (Saor: Yeah, that's Sao! Sao: When I catch you, you baka yami... Saor: ano, hehe, buhbye! (Runs))

sillylittlenothing: I'm glad you liked chapter ten! This makes me happy! Although it will still be referred to as the 'horrific chapter ten incident.' And as for the four day marathon event, she being kitsune as well, is very, very ready for that. (Smacks self again for hentai notions)

Princess Kandra: Written! Is here! Is not a repeat of the 'horrific chapter ten incident of extreme shortness'! lol.

Kya Jaganshi: Is glad you like!

animagrl: ano... I don't really write lemons. I just get really awfully close. Technically I should not even be writing to the degree I write, since what I write is recommended for people sixteen and up and I'm not even sixteen. Nor have I ever been kissed. Nor have I had more than one boyfriend, and just generally have never been in a relationship. I'm rambling now. I think I have more than explained myself... o.O (owwie)

TheSilverMirror:)

Rachel: hai. If you told katie, she would a) be scarred for life, b) be completely and totally in shock, and c) come and smack the living hell outta me.

and for some of you who reviewed chapter nine who I have not gotten to yet:

Kari the Shadow Goddess: MEEP! (runs and hides) ano... updated? Don't kill me! Glad you like it!

Youko's Daughter Sakaki: lol, I have a million chapsticks sitting in an old tin on my dresser and I NEVER use them... And you are not allowed to steal the mongooses! They are rabid! I will send rachel's other minions after you to retrieve them! Or I could just send Neko... which would be even scarier... (cowers from Neko's supreme muse powers which conquer all) meep...


	12. Training

Training

(Okay. Guess what happened to me as I was writing up the responses at the bottom on Wednesday night. The POWER WENT OUT. O. My. Kami. I have decided to worship my word program, however, because it has the neat 'backup' feature that keeps a record of what I had written, so I didn't have to write the entire thing all over again. This is why I am posting on Thursday rather than Saturday. Say "Arigato to Sao's computer" and you get cyber brownies and a youko plushie.)

Sao: All right! The chapter we've all been waiting for! That's right! The one where Karuri actually figures out how to use her powers!

Saor: Actually, Sao's just covering for the fact that while this is an important point in the story, we're really just stalling around and are too lazy to get the plot plotted out properly and kick it into gear.

Sao: (kicks Saor) SAOR! Nani the bloody hell did you tell them THAT for? I was trying to DISTRACT them from this fact!

Saor: Yes, but me being the evil yami, I must be evil and inform them of bad things like this. Mwahaha–(chokes)

Neko: Technically, wouldn't being honest with the readers rather than deceiving them be the _good_ thing to do?

Saor: What are you talking about! Of course not! It's the evil!

Sao: Yeah! I was being all nice and protecting them from the facts and then that stupid yami comes along and screws it all up!

Neko: (sighs) It never ends.

Karuri: Oh yes. Thought I'd drop in long enough to say this: Sao/Saor/Neko do not own Kurama. I do.

Neko: Oh Kami save us.

Saor: We don't own any of Yu Yu Hakusho, now that you mention it...

Sao: DOOFUS! How are we supposed to go about owning it if you go around saying stuff like that? Baka yami!

Sao: o.O my bad... (meeps)

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

(Day after the 'thing' incident)

"All right, koi, first I want you to draw all your powers out at once."

"Ano... not sure that's completely safe, but, kaysies..."

The sound of crackling fire, whipping winds, the swoosh of water, and other unidentifiable sounds filled a small clearing for about two seconds before a (crack!) And the sounds vanished with a flash of light, leaving an acrid smell.

"D'accooooord... That worked well... I think..."

A female kitsune youkai with long, straight hair fading from blond at the top, through various reds and auburns into black at the ends, dark auburn-to-black tipped ears that were currently twitching nervously, and seven thick, fluffy tails of the same color progression as her hair was seated in the clearing.

She was gazing up at another kitsune youkai, a gorgeous male with intense golden eyes, brilliant silver hair cascading down his back, soft silver ears pinned back ever-so-slightly with affectionate annoyance, and seven luxurious silver tails waving at his back.

She wore what resembled stockings and gloves. On the right arm and leg the cloth was black and white, on the left, white and black. Each was kept up on her limbs by lacing of strips of cloth of the opposite color of whichever the main cloth was, creating a perfect harlequin effect. The stockings ended just above the knee, the gloves were attached to the back of her hand at the middle finger and ended just before the shoulder joint, flowing into the lines of a bra, one side black, the other white. Black underwear and a nervous covering of tails completed her outfit.

The other wore a white, sleeveless fighting outfit, tied at the middle by a sash. ((Come on... we all know, what he usually's wearing?))

"Kitto, you have to keep them manifested for longer than that, if you want to be able to work with one of them at a time. Keep them in control."

"Not cool." she moaned. He gave the barest hint of a grin.

"Here, kitto." he rumbled, sitting down in the lush grass and pulling her into his lap. "We'll do it together."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Karuri came to the conclusion that everything hurt. It was sore when she was still and it hurt sharply when she moved.

'It's been far too long since I worked at something, obviously...'

"Yo! Where you two been?" Yusuke called as they came out of the forest, looking as beat as she felt.

"Where does it look like we've been? Out in the forest." Karuri replied crossly.

"Somebody's in a bad mood..." Yusuke grumbled.

"Kitto's unhappy someone made her work." Youko teased gently in her ear.

"What if I am?" she asked, just as quietly.

"Oh Kami, not this again." Yusuke said, making a gagging noise, before practically turning tail and running, shouting a warning to Kuwabara as he ran past the dojo.

"We might have to make kitto happy again."

"Or maybe just annoyed with you."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Fine. So I couldn't STAY annoyed at you. This doesn't mean I can't BE annoyed at you."

"Are you sure...?" Youko purred into her ear. It twitched against his lips as the warm air washed over it, making Karuri shiver with suppressed delight, cinnamon scent swirling around both of them.

"Youko..." she warned. He took no notice of this, drawing her slowly to him to where he could run his mouth over the silky fur of her ear. The familiar pulsing feel as her blood sped up flashed through her body. Unable to resist, she purred slightly, melting against him to rub the base of her ear against his chin. Slow heat began to spread through her body as the spicy cinnamon scent intensified.

His fingers trailed along her back sensually, coming dangerously close to her tails, causing her to spike excitedly, sliding arms around him to run down the length of one of his tails, bringing it up between them. Through their close contact she felt the shiver run through his body. She tilted her head back to look up at him, to find her lips covered in a devouring kiss.

"Dude... Get a room!" Yusuke and Kuwabara yelled in unison from the door of the dojo. Karuri twisted around against Youko, still holding onto the tip of one of his tails, to mimic the exact glare he was giving the two other Reikai Tentai.

"Nobody's forcing you to watch." Youko stated simply. "Or perhaps... you secretly want to?"

"ICK!" they chorused, slamming the door. Sounds of rei energy being blasted around were soon emanating.

"The immaturity." Karuri remarked.

"I think they have a problem with us." Youko agreed.

"Well, I consider that their problem. I hurt. Let us go 'find a room' as they put it."

"I believe that was, 'get a room.'"

She mock glared at him.

"Whatever."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

(Approximately a week later- nearly full moon again)

Sounds as if from a battle emanated from a clearing. The patter of feet, the soft draw of breath, the occasional cracks as if from a weapon.

A closer look revealed two kitsune, a male and a female, he with white fighting pants and she with a dark grey sports bra and baggy capris, engaged in an elegant dance of attack-parry-counterattack. They were both armed with what seemed to be whips, though if one were to peer into the very aura swirling around the clearing, they would find pure plant youki intensifying around the male, and shimmering patches hovering around the female, merely hanging in the balance.

The two whips met, cracking against each other only to be pulled back instantly, as both kitsune found their feet on the ground once again. The whips shrunk back into two roses, both as red as blood.

Youko gazed fondly at his mate, silently admiring the flush of her cheeks, the rise and fall of her chest with her breaths, the still slightly pinned-back ears, the tails darting wildly to and fro in excitement.

"Good." he said simply. Her eyes, an excited bright orange, sparkled with a chocolate hint of happiness.

It had been fairly easy to teach her how to control one thing at a time, what had been harder for them was to figure out how best to keep her powers in balance while trying to manipulate one of them to a more refined level.

Due to the fact that any one power being used exclusively for the period of time it took to properly manipulate the youki tended to lead to a takeover by said element, and then 'war,' which was extremely destructive to even a youkai body, it was imperative that a way be developed to avoid this.

The simple solution was to manifest all the elements in simplified youki form, as when meditating, thus keeping them all in balance as one was used.

Youko put the rose safely back into his hair and gathered Karuri into his arms, rubbing his nose against her ear and wrapping his tails around her firmly, breathing in her scent of lavender smoke.

"Youko?"

"Hai?"

"You know what tomorrow is?"

"The full moon again, kitto."

"Hai."

They were quiet, content for the moment to just stand there.

Full moon. A full month. They had passed the courting ritual.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sao: Aaaaand... Drumroll please.

Karuri: Nobody here plays drums.

Saor: Keahi used to, but remember, she stopped taking lessons and got rid of the drumset.

Sao: AAAGH! That's not the point here! I'm surrounded by incompetents...

Neko: You were saying?

Sao: Oh, right! Anyhow! Full month of courting. This equals! Very happy me. I finally got them through this.

Saor: We need to go type up that timeline.

Karuri: A.K.A. that's never gonna happen because you three are the laziest authors on the planet.

Sao/Saor/Neko: OI!

Karuri: THANKS TO REVIEWERS:

Ugly Kitten: No! Don't tie me to the chair! I can guarantee you that I will get just as little done... Actually, the computer is my biggest distraction. I will get on the internet and chat on gaia when I'm supposed to be typing this... (sweatdrops) heh heh...

sillylittlenothing: if you didn't notice, I kinda took your idea. I was originally just going to make it so that she can use her powers simply but not upset the balance in her inner self, but then I kinda tweaked it into this. I'm glad you like my kitsune! I'm a kitsune freak... Lol, keahi had this one rp where she and shippo went to a t-shirt decorating place and made themselves t-shirts with a five-tailed fox and "I'm a kitsune freak!" written on it...

Princess Kandra: I'm happy that you were saved from the heart attack. (Grins) heh. My friends used to tell me I was gonna have a heart attack one day... totally forget why though...

animagrl: – . – glad you think it's going well

bookworm0492: yay! I gots a song! (Dances) oi! Lol, I looooove that commercial. C'est tres amusant!

Kurama's number1 girl: updated! See? I'm a good person! Lol...

Crazy Fan S.S.: yay! You found it this time. This is excellent news.

EverlastingDarkness: Yay! I hope you get to read more of it soon! I reviewed you!

Rachel: Really? You've been corrupting her in theatre? She's in theatre? I did not know this... I would visit your fictionpress thingamajig, if I remembered what your pen name was. Unfortunately, you can always count on Sao to forget this type of thing. AGH! Not Fool! Lol


	13. Mine

Mine

Sao: ...

Saor: ...

Neko: They're having a staring contest. You must be very very quiet.

Sao: ...

Saor: ...

Neko: Okay I'm bored. BOO!

Sao: ...

Saor: AAAUGH!

Sao: Hah! I win!

Saor: THAT'S CUZ YOU FELL ASLEEP AGAIN!

Sao: I did?

Neko: No. You were just in a trance and Saor being the simple minded person she is, she figured you were asleep.

Hiei: Hn. Bakas.

Sao: Hiei? What are you doing here? This is Kurama and Karuri's fic.

Neko: Yes, but they are (ahem) otherwise occupied most of the time so I brought someone else in before I died of boredom.

Saor: But, but, but, you remember what happened last time?

Hiei: (glares at Saor)

Saor: AAAUGH! (runs and hides in a closet)

Sao: Uh-oh.

Neko: Gomen! I was bored! Besides, he comes in in this chappie...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Youko and Karuri were headed back towards the dojo for lack of a better place to go, the afternoon sunlight washing them in red-gold, bringing a fiery tint to Youko's silver tails, ears, and hair. and a blazing glory to the already fiery colors of Karuri's. Suddenly he stopped, sniffing the air slightly.

"Nani?" she asked softly.

"Hiei's here."

"Why would he be here? I thought you said he was off training on his own."

"I really don't know, kitto." he replied amiably, pulling her against him to breathe in her ear, "That's why we're going to go find out."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hiei flitted past the trees of Genkai's forest, giving the area that was thoroughly saturated with kitsune youki a wide, wide berth. He was here for two reasons: one, his own training had begun to bore him slightly, and he knew that after even a brief stay with the insanity that was the other Reikai Tentai, he would be glad enough to return to it. Two: he knew that the baka was here, and while he trusted Genkai to at least keep him thoroughly busy, he still didn't trust the baka around Yukina.

He caught the barest whiff of cinnamon as he came within sight of the temple. It was faint at first, but quickly permeated the air very subtly the closer he came. He slid aside the shoji door at the porch, closing it soundlessly and beginning to explore slightly, both looking for and avoiding the others who were here.

The cinnamon everywhere was beginning to make him very glad that he had not been here most of the time. It was easy to identify which room was theirs- the scent intensified times ten when he came closer to it. The room must be swamped in it, he thought. If he had ears like one of the kitsune, he would have pinned them back in annoyance. The whole race of them was baki insane, for sure. Who else would have decided that in order to gain a life-mate you had to work both yourselves up to it for an entire month together and yet be absolutely forbidden to so much as _see_ your partner nude?

"Konnichiwa Hiei. Come here to check on someone?"

Hiei turned around from his path further down the hallway to find Youko with his head quirked to the side just slightly, the female kitsune, Karuri, with her chin nestled over his shoulder from behind.

Why did kitsune have to have so many dratted tails? He could swear it had to be just to annoy other people, and perhaps throw off their enemies. Hiei forcibly stopped himself from attempting to figure out how many there were on the both of them; it would probably leave him confused and very irritable.

He let his silence stand for an answer; he knew the kitsune would be able to figure it out on his own- probably already had.

The silver chuckled softly- yes, he definitely already knew.

"Do you realize that this entire temple reeks of excitement?" he queried.

Both kitsune flashed almost identical fanged grins for answers. Really. They were downright infuriating sometimes. He narrowed his eyes slightly in annoyance.

"She's downstairs and around the first right corner, in case you wanted to know." Youko informed him. Finally, something useful from him. Get an overly repressed kitsune and a possible mate and they became completely unreasonable, truly. Hiei flashed away to go check on his sister so he could get out of here.

He had been completely right. Even a few minutes here was enough to make him want to go back to his own training, and he hadn't even seen the baka or the tentai.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Youko laughed softly as Hiei flitted quickly away from them, turning his head to nuzzle Karuri's cheek gently.

"Does he always seem that uncomfortable around other people?" she asked.

"Not always. Just when said other people are acting in ways he considers ridiculous, which incidentally is, I believe, his current word to describe us."

She bit back a laugh, though her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"So why don't we get out of his way?" she suggested, threading arms around his neck to pull herself up more comfortably, effectively draping herself over his shoulder, feet no longer touching the ground. Her tails twined around his torso and arms, keeping her balanced, albeit barely.

"What an excellent idea." he replied, pulling her over his shoulder into his arms bridal style, earning a short yelp of surprise, followed by a mock glare.

"You are a bad person."

"I've learned to live with the shame."

Karuri reached up to nibble gently on his lip, which he took advantage of to lock his mouth with hers, slowly at first but increasing in intensity, which she eagerly matched, locking arms around his neck. When they broke apart, her cheeks were flushed mildly and they were both panting slightly.

"It's hard to believe it's full moon... It's seemed like forever and now suddenly it's over." she murmured.

"Hai. But it's true." he whispered back.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The night was perfectly still. Perfectly quiet. Unnaturally quiet. A single breath of wind swept over emerald grass almost glowing with youki. The sky was velvet black, dotted with liquid diamond stars. The clearing was dominated by the silver moon, perfectly round and full, hanging overhead.

Karuri and Youko were in the very middle of the clearing- their clearing, where they had begun courtship and where they would finish it.

As if on the stroke of midnight a single beat shattered the eerie silence, vibrating in the air, high and melodic. Another followed it, rending the ringing aftertones with a deeper vibrato.

There was no other; no priest, no judge; no marriage. This was left to the ningen and those who require some physical proof, witness, to their union.

But they were kitsune of the seventh class. The only witness to their union was the trees, the stars and the moon.

Another tone soared through the air, high and triumphant. The other joined it, weaving a subtle harmony around the treble of the first. Both kitsune were perfectly still, eyes locked on the moon, as the sounds of an ancient tradition soared around them.

Then both tones stopped, abruptly. A breeze picked up, swirling around them and lifting hair to twirl about their bodies, tugging at tails.

A lilting tune began, light and carefree at first, then growing heavier and lower, before switching almost into a minor key. It stopped with the soaring riff, into the heavens in seeming ecstasy.

It switched into a single background note as another song began, this one a minor key from the beginning. It followed slightly the same lilting pattern at the very beginning, before starting to spiral down in a dramatic cadence. It screamed painfully onto an off note for a split second before returning to a slight recap of the lilting pattern. Finally it began a staccato rising beat before soaring into the same riff of blinding ecstasy. (A/N: THAT IS A FRIGGIN' WEIRD WORD! Okay, now that I've thoroughly ruined the mood...)

The first tone joined the second in the liquid vibrato in the heavens, weaving around it in complex harmonies and very subtle dissonances until they both faded off into silence once more.

Slowly they both looked down to meet each other's eyes. The breeze was dispelled, overpowered by the rising air that rushed up over them, as youki levels rose till it became nearly overpowering. One step, two steps toward each other. Both were clothed only by their tails. Three steps. Four. Five, and Youko's hands reached out to grasp her hips, pulling her closer to him. Karuri reached up as if in a dream, to gently run fingertips over his bare chest towards the neck.

His hands ran up over her waist, gently over the curves of her breasts concealed beneath the tail, to trace a line along her collarbone, drawing her towards him slowly. Their eyes never left each other, until finally the spell was broken when she was drawn flush against him, too close to see each other.

He nipped at the junction of neck and shoulder, then soothing it with his tongue, feeling the heat of her body against his increase, the blood quicken. A moment more his lips covered the spot, savoring her taste, before pulling her against him and sinking teeth into the tender flesh. A sharp pain in the same place on his body followed, as the ritual was completed.

"Mine." the husky whisper was lost in the silence of the clearing as Youko pulled Karuri tight against him.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

PROBLEM: this story is seriously going downhill. I am frazzled and it's completely turning into a homework assignment to me.

SOLUTION: I'm gonna post this, and then actually work on getting it back in line, and hopefully start posting again after school's over. Hopefully the laziness of summer will help. Because I'm seriously getting p.o.ed at this story right now, and because I haven't been able to write it properly, and Neko has decided to hover just out of my reach right now.

aside from this depressing note;

THANKS TO:

Ugly Kitten: It's so unfair that you are already out of school. I don't get out for another three weeks or so. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I am so tired of school... I repeat that tying me to a chair gets you nowhere though... (gives you cyber brownies and a Youko plushie) there you go!

Princess Kandra: Don't worry... you're not the only lazy one.

sillylittlenothing: yeah... this chapter's kinda... Um. It's um. That's my word for it. O.o.

bookworm0492: yay 'nother song! I have no idea what this one is though, so...

animagrl: ummmm... no lemon. I have said why back in chappie eleven already, and I think it's very good reasons. I might not even get as close as I thought I might if I'm in the wrong mood... I don't write smut except when I'm in a smut mood. O.o ignore me... I'm being p.o.ed today...

Lucifer001: OH MY KAMI! You actually went through and reviewed each chapter! I feel so luffed! (glomps) You get the Youko plushie just for that!

LilPurrfection: ... Update is here, but I can't say when the next one will be.

kittyluv: Cyber brownies and Youko plushie! (hands them over)

Rachel: Amazing. Please remind me who Useless is, as you will be sending him/her after me now...


End file.
